Sophisticate this!
by PrincessVamp
Summary: Serena's in love with Darien, but thinks he won't ever notice her because she's so klutzy. So commences Operation Sophistication!
1. Default Chapter

Hey, PrincessVamp again! I know I update sporadically, and I'm sorry (hangs head). But it's hard to get an idea that hasn't already been done...to my knowledge.

I no own anything. Clear?

Cool. Thanks for reading!

Review!

"I had no choice, but to hear you, you stated your case, time and again, I thought about it...

You treat me like, I'm a princess ...you've already won me over..." Alanis Morisette CD

**Sophisticate _this!_**

Serena rolled over in her bed, staring up at her spider-free ceiling. No, it wasn't morning, and no, she wasn't going to bed. She was wasting a perfectly good afternoon—not playing videogames, not reading that new Sailor V comic book, not shopping for some splenderifious outfit. She was...pondering.

Thinking.

Serena smiled wryly. _If Raye heard me say I was thinking, she'd laugh for a month,_ she thought affectionately. Then she went back to the thought that was rolling around her in head, refusing to get out. She groaned and flung an arm over her face. It was no use. She couldn't get _him_ out of her mind! Every time she closed her eyes _his_ taunting, horrible, awful, piercing, beautiful ocean blue eyes were there, dancing behind her eyelids. His smile, the way his gorgeous, thick black hair was always just the tiniest bit messy—Serena sighed again.

_I need to be committed,_ she thought desperately. _There is _no_ way I can be...in ...uh...with Darien! My worst enemy!_ She tried to ignore the fact that their heated arguments were the highlight of her day, and how every time he raised an eyebrow in that rakish way she just wanted to...attack him...

Serena whimpered. She just had to face it. She was...madly, passionately, unfortunately, in love with Darien Shields. Ugh.

And what was worse? Said man had no idea that she was really a woman. Thinking this, Serena puffed up like a proud frog, pushing out her chest and smirking. Then she deflated.

_Face facts, Sere,_ she argued with herself. _You're seventeen, had _one_ measly boyfriend_, _skinny, a Champion of Justice, and a reincarnated princess. Who's gonna go for you? _

Suddenly an idea struck and she bolted up in her bed. (Unfortunately her bed was very springy and this just made her bounce off and land on the floor.) "Ow!" she shrieked, before jumping to her feet and dashing to her closet. "I need to be beautiful...I need to be sexy...I need..." she paused, throwing many skirts, shirts, pants and dresses out of her closet. "I need new clothes! How can I be sophisticated and chic with _these_ stupid, little kid clothes?!" she demanded of her closet.

"Beats me. Of course, you'll _never_ be sophisticated, Serena!" her little brother bwahhed from her doorway, his arms crossed.

Serena's eyes grew wide and furious. "Sammy!" she sprinted at him, and Sammy, with the ease of long practice, stepped to the side. Serena crashed into the second story stairway railing and flipped over it, just barely catching onto the rail. She screamed. Sammy yelled.

She should have been terrified, but all Serena could think of was how once she'd fallen over a balcony railing and Tuxedo Mask had been with her...and when they'd fallen he had held onto her with such strong, warm arms...

Her grip loosened unconsciously as her memory drifted. Then she wondered how it would feel if Darien was holding onto her. She grinned to herself.

"_SERENA!" _Sammy screamed in her face. "WAKE UP, stupid! You're hanging over a freaking RAIL!"

Serena snapped out of it. "Ohmigod!" she shrieked, swinging her other hand up to hold onto the railing. She kicked her legs in the short skirt she was wearing, trying and failing to get a grip. "Sammy! Get help!"

"Mom and Dad aren't home!" Sammy told her, panicking.

"THEN GET SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP!" Serena demanded imperiously...or not, since it's hard to sound imperious when one is dangling improperly off of a high railing. But the point is, she tried.

So Sammy dashed off down the stairs and out into the street, bellowing at the top of his lungs.

Serena's arms were straining and her fingertips were going numb. "Hurry Sammy!" she whispered desperately. A few tears—not the usual Serena-style full-on blown-out-of-proportion wails—just a few crystalline tears slid down her face. _I'm going to die,_ she thought, accepting it.

Her fingers started to slip, and, suddenly, irrationally, Serena wondered what she would like when she was dead. Pale, she decided: Very pale, with her golden hair all perfect and not wind-blown. When they found her she would be wearing her little blue skirt and her favorite spaghetti strap top—green with little blue flowers and bunnies embroidered on it. She grimaced despite herself. Not a very pretty picture for her parents to come home to. She could hear the lecture now: '_Serena, how dare you die in a revealing outfit! Come back down here and change!'_

Serena giggled. _I think I just might be hysterical,_ she decided. Then her fingers slipped more and she was holding on with just two fingers. "Oh!" she cried, panicking. Then her fingers slipped over the edge and she was falling. Serena closed her eyes and prepared to die. _Can't be that bad—I've already die—what—twice? Three times? _

"Oof!"

Of all the words to say, Serena had rated _oof_ on the bad scale. She cracked open an eye. As far as she could tell, there was no blood splattered on the walls, her body was intact and unharmed, and her hair wasn't windblown! "It must be from the Princess side..." she murmured, thinking that Princess Serenity had passed some unable-to-die-from-falling power along to her.

"How STUPID ARE YOU, SERENA?!?!" Sammy yelled. "You ran RIGHT over that railing..."

Serena now opened both eyes. Sammy was white with fear, and she...she was cradled up against someone's warm body. She looked up and gasped. "Tux—er..."

"Are you all right?" Darien Shields' concerned, absolutely --(pick a verb from paragraph 3)-- eyes looked down at her.

"EEK!" Serena jumped—well, not that far. She more kind of _twitched_ in his arms. "How'd you get in here?"

"I was driving by when I saw your little brother running around like a headless chicken in the middle of the street," Darien replied, his deep voice sending vibrations through his chest so that Serena felt them, and melted. "He told me you were dangling off a railing."

"Oh...er...um..."

"So what stupid thing got you hanging over a second story railing?" Darien arched an eyebrow and Serena cursed her traitor body as her heart sped up.

"None of your business!" she retorted, before realized belatedly she should pay more respect to a guy who just saved her life.

Darien just looked at her. Finally she gave in.

"Well...I...um...kind of ran at Sammy when he said...something." Serena mumbled.

"Said what?" Darien seemed amused.

Serena flushed and turned her red face into his dark blue shirt. _It smells like spicy cologne,_ she noted, and filed the thought away for future reference. "Thaticoudnbsphtcted."

Sammy bounced. "I said she'd NEVER ever in MILLION years be ANYWHERE near sophisticated."

Serena turned to send a death glare at her brother. _What good is it having superpowers if I can't barbecue stupid brothers with my eyes?_ She mused.

She braced herself for the flippant remark Darien would send her way...except he didn't.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to your older sister, Sammy," her rebuked him gently.

Sammy laughed. "Serena can't do nothin' to me. I've got SO much blackmail on her...besides, mom and dad'll yell at her if she tries anything. One of the perks of being the younger sibling," he held up a finger, "is that you NEVER get blamed for ANYTHING!"

Serena tensed in Darien's arms. "Brat," she muttered.

"She can too do stuff," Darien laughed. "All she has to do is mention something embarrassing that you did to a potential girlfriend of yours...maybe pull out a few baby pictures..."

Sammy paled. "Er...I..uh...bye!" he sped off up the stairs and slammed the door to his room. Serena grimaced when the walls rattled.

"WATCH HOW HARD YOU SLAM THE DOORS, SAMUEL!" she shouted up the stairs...and in the process spit a little on Darien's lower lip.

Slowly Serena passed from pale pink to a muted scarlet, to a dark crimson, do maroon. _Why do I always screw up around him?_ She lamented in her head. Darien, a repulsed look on his handsome face, wiped his lip on Serena's shirt. Serena stopped breathing when his face nearly touched her breast. For a second, when he pulled back, their faces were inches a part, their eyes locked on the others. Blue met blue.

Serena's thought process died. Then Darien firmly set her on her feet and their eyes were shaken from each other.

"I...um..." they both started at the same time. Serena smiled and Darien chuckled a bit.

"Thank you," Serena murmured, bowing a little. "I owe you my life."

"No problem, Meat-ball Head," Darien smirked. She frowned at him. "Life...would be boring without you."

He turned and headed towards the door.

Serena reached desperately for something to say to him. "Wait! Do you—uh...want to stay and meet my dinner? I mean—parents for dinner?"

He gave her a weird look. "It's okay...I try not to meet a girl's parents unless we're dating. You sure you're okay?"

"...Yes. Thanks again....bye." Serena replied faintly.

He walked out and shut the door. Serena flopped down on her family's couch. _Oh my god. How stupid could I get? 'do you want to meet my dinner?' How unsophisticated! How stupid! How immature of me! For god's sake, I'm not fourteen anymore! You'd think I could carry on a simple conversation with an incredibly hot guy, but nooo, not me. _

She sat up, a determined look crossing her delicate face. "That's _it._ I'm tired of the clumsy me. _Operation Sophistication_ begins!"

This will have more chapters...and I can get them out sooner if I get _reviiiieeewwws_!!! (coughs and holds hand to throat). Ow.

Catch ya'll next time!

Hugs,

PrincessVamp


	2. Shopping NeoQueen

PrincessVamp here again!

Ohmigod I LOVE you guys that responded! Thanks SO much! Look! I started writing it the next day!

Oh, and since ya'll mentioned it: this is an Alternate Universe fic. It's progressing along the same lines as the original Sailor Moon, but without Darien. I'm sorry if I mess something up—I don't have it all straight in my head yet! (you'd think I would, I've only like Sailor Moon for, oh, eight years...) lol

WARNING: this is more like PG-14 or 15, basically for sexual references and some swearing. Don't let it chase you away; it's not that bad! (pleading look)

Anyhoo, here's the next installment! I hope you like!

R-E-V-I-E-W!!!

Ta-ta!

**Sophisticate _this!_**

Mina looked up from a piece of paper, eyebrow raised quizzically. "Er...Serena..."

Serena looked back determinedly. "What? It's just a checklist!" She threw up her hands. "Why does no one think I can pull this off!? I showed the list to Luna and she _laughed._"

Mina looked at the checklist again and tried not to snicker.

Operation Sophistication for Serena :) 

Buy clothes without bunnies that will prove to D --people that I'm mature.

Adopt aloof, mysterious attitude (see Raye).

Get smarter (see Amy).

Learn to dance (not the bunny-hop!)

Attract men.

She couldn't help it. A snort escaped. Mina tried to hide it with a coughing fit, and Serena was still so busy protesting how people didn't believe she could do it that she didn't notice. _Whew._

"Er...Serena?" Mina tried to interrupt her friend's tirade.

"—and no one really appreciates what I do! _I'm_ Sailor Moon, _I'm _the Princess—_I'm_ the only one who hasn't had a really serious boyfriend yet—"

"SERENA!" Mina yelled, and Serena quieted. Mina sighed and ran a hand through her golden hair. "Why do you want to change? You're perfect how you are."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. That worked when I was fourteen, Mina."

Mina shrugged. "Fritos to me for trying," she flubbed the saying.

"Kudos, Mina."

"That's what I said!"

Serena laughed despite herself. "So...you'll help?" Mina hesitated, and Serena adopted a pitiful puppy expression. "Plleeeaaaseee?..."

"Alright, alright." Mina looked disgusted with herself. _Just one look at that face and I melt into a gooey puddle of 'sure, Sere,'_ she thought. "I'll help you shop for "mature" clothes." A smile spread across the bubbly Venusians' face. "Shopping! Credit cards! Shoes!" she started mumbling feverishly to herself. "Make-up! Undies! Pants!"

"Uh...Mina?" Serena waved a hang in front of Mina's face. "Oh, dear." She took a deep breath and then...

"_Yeeeaagghhhh!!!" _she hollered right in Mina's ear.

Mina rocketed up in the air. "AGGGHHHH!!!" She landed and looked murderously at Serena. Sere held up her fingers in a circular shape over her head.

"Tee hee...um...halo?"

"Grrrrr...."

"IEEEEEEE!!!" Serena tore off: Mina close behind.

Fifteen exhausted minutes later, Mina was still chasing Serena—but now they were tearing down the sidewalk.

_Just...a little...farther..._ Serena thought deliriously. _Almost...there..._

The mall was quickly coming into view at the pace they were going, and Serena was sure that as soon as she could make it to the doors she would be safe, since Mina would most likely be easily distracted by all of the sale signs in the windows. Then she made the mistake of looking back.

"Heeelllpppp!!!" she screeched. "She's _gaining!"_

All the people around Serena and Mina looked at them as if they were crazy—which they were. But anyway!

"Truce!" Serena stopped in the middle of the street, gasping. _I thought I was in better shape than that!_ She thought disapprovingly. "Mina, truce!"

Mina barreled into her, stepped back, and smiled. "Okay!" Then Mina waltzed into the mall, leaving Serena to have an apoplexy. Serena walked in after her friend muttering about stupid blondes and mood swings.

She found Mina shuffling through mini-skirts in Rave. "Here!...here...ooh, that's cute!...here...take this..." Mina shoved numerous scraps of fabric that could _maybe_ pass for a skirt (if you had just been attacked by maybe a lion or something and it had torn half of your skirt off) into Serena's arms.

A few more skirts and some tops later, Serena was modeling the outfits for a critical Mina.

Serena winced as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She felt like someone sneezing in Africa could blow off her top, and she was _sure_ that none of the underwear _she_ owned would fit under this skirt and not show. Suddenly she froze.

"Oh my GOD!"

Mina looked up from her study of Serena's outfit. "What Sere?"

Serena's face reseambled a mottled tomato and she looked ready to faint. "I was wearing GRANNY PANTIES yesterday!"

Mina waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, pish, Serena. Everyone's got _some_ embarrassing underwear in their drawers—you know, the stuff your parents buy you when you're, like, twelve, and it turns out to be about five hundred sizes too big, but some days you're just out of the cute underwear and you HAVE to wear something that normally you wouldn't use to wipe your nose with...unless it's Tuesday..."

Serena was too busy panicking to decipher Mina's speech. She had a memory of her dangling, wearing a tiny skirt, and a certain someone underneath her. "No, Mina! Yesterday...when I almost died falling—Darien was under me...he _saw my horribly huge, stretched out, stained granny panties!"_

"...stained?"

"Um...ya' know...when you forget that your period's gonna start..."

Mina stretched up on her toes and, shading her eyes, looked around.

Serena was hyperventilating. "What are you doing?"

Mina looked down at Serena sympathetically. "Looking for the nearest place to buy you a ticket to the end of the Earth."

Serena moaned.

**The next day**

"Slut."

"Shut UP!"

"Whore."

"Bitch."

"Ho."

"Loser."

"Two-dollar ho."

"You slept with Jason on the _third_ date."

"Fucker."

"...um..."

"Oh! I won! HAHAHAHAHA!" Raye cackled manically, rubbing her hands together, and evil gleam coming into her eyes. "You owe me a smoothie!"

Serena pouted. "Bitch."

Raye smirked. "You wanna start again? Cuz you _know_ I'll win. Slut." The last was added as an afterthought.

Lita shook her head. "You guys are pathetic."

Raye turned excitedly to the tall beauty. "Oooh, Lita, you wanna join us?"

Lita laughed. "No way, Raye."

Since the first time Serena and Raye had met, they had been arguing. Over the years it had progressed into affectionate insults...that got worse and worse. Then it _had_ gotten worse—at least from Lita's point of view. The two girls had made it into a contest. Whenever they got into one of their insult matches, the girl unable to think of an insult owed the other girl something. It could be ice cream, movie tickets, a back rub...whatever they wanted. Lita shrugged to herself. _At least they're not at each other's throats anymore. _She thought, resigned.

"You guys are so mature," she told them sarcastically.

They turned and beamed at her.

Then they got back to the argument at hand.

"Really, Serena, that outfit makes you look sleazy," Raye told the blonde.

"It's sexy," Mina countered from behind her magazine.

The girls were relaxing in the park after having a nice filling picnic—all except for Amy. Ames was out touring college campuses and wasn't supposed to get back until the next day.

Mina stretched in her lawn chair and set down the magazine, ready to defend her—er, Serena's clothing choice.

Raye snorted. "She's wearing a six inch leather skirt, a purple thong, and a blue halter top. Her makeup is done to the extreme, and..." she paused. "Serena, did you dye your hair?"

Serena's hands flew to the one thing she was vain about. "WHAT?"

Raye leaned forwards and examined her ponytail. "Oh, my god." She whispered.

Serena pulled some hair towards her and inspected it. She choked. "It's...it's..."

"...Turning silver," Raye supplied, when Serena looked too horrified to say anything. Raye grinned. "Hey, looks like Serena's age (AN: get it? 1017's kinda old...tee hee...okay, ignore the insane author.)--is finally catching up to her!"

Serena's eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Luna looked at Serena's locks. Serena sat up woozily. "Serena, I do believe you are beginning your transformation into Neo-Queen Serenity." She remarked quietly.

Serena nearly fainted again.

"Al—already? But—I'm only seventeen!" she lamented. "I'm not even in college yet—I can't be queen!"

"What, you expect college to teach you how to rule the world?" Lita cracked, then paused. "That was a distinctly Raye-like thing to say."

"Hey!"

"Lita's right," Mina propped herself up on her elbows. "College won't help you here. I think you're just going to have to hope that all those lessons from the Moon Kingdom will come back to you."

"Don't be ridiculous," Luna sniffed. All the girls looked at the small black cat. "I'll teach Serena. I _was_ Queen Serenity's advisor—there was more to my job than just looking after the princess!"

"That was our job!" Mina chirped, then, when she received death glares, shrank back down. "...never mind..."

"Who's gonna be the King?" Lita asked suddenly. "In all the visions we've had of the future, there's always that tall man next to Serena... but he's all blurry. Do we just hope he happens to stumble in on their wedding?"

Serena paled. "I have to be married?" _But...I want Darien!_ She whined in her head.

Luna shrugged her...um—shoulders. "Of course it is possible to rule without a consort or King," she informed them archly. "However, since the visions we have seen have had a man next to Serenity, we'll assume that, yes, Serena will be married when she is the Neo- queen of Earth."

Serena gulped. "That's a big title..."

"Neo-Queen Serenity II of the Earth and Moon...um...I forgot Serenity's middle names," Raye fumbled.

"Lots of 'em," Serena jumped up and Raye screamed. "WHAT?" Serena turned around, searching for a monster or something to have caused so terrified a shriek.

"My eyes!" Raye yelled, covering them. "Oh gods!" She rolled around on the ground. "Serena, get a longer skirt!" she shrieked at the girl. "Seeing your ass-cheeks was really not something I wanted to do right now!"

"How about later?" Serena murmured in what she hoped was a smoky voice.

Raye, Lita, Mina, and Luna stared at her...and then cracked up.

"That—(snort)—isn't something—(snicker)—you want to say-(giggle)—ever again—(wheeze)--," Raye told her. "The smoldering—(gasp)—temptress thing—(hee)—just isn't you."

"Guard your carnal treasure!" Lita gasped out between hysterical bouts of laughter. "Oh, wait, Raye's already lost hers!"

Mina yowled in laughter, rolling around on the ground.

Raye growled and threw herself on top of Lita, wrestling with the taller girl. "That's—(ow)—the last time I tell any of _you_ something—(ugh)—_personal!"_ she yelled at them, trying not to laugh.

Serena giggled. "Get off it, Raye....or should I say; him?"

"AAARRGGH!" Raye howled at the sky. "I just can't win," she muttered, getting off of a convulsing Lita.

Luna tried to maintain a dignified silence...which was distorted by her tiny cat shoulders shaking. "Girls...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that," she muttered.

Several young men walking around the park stopped and stared at the unbelievable sight of four hot young girls rolling around, sunbathing, and generally laughing their butts off. They chalked it up to 'Women.'

Mina stopped giggling after a while.

"So, Sere," she said, grinning; "What's next on the list for 'Sophisticate Serena'?"

Serena grinned. "Ooh _Raaaayyyeee_..."

Raye took one look at the maniacal face and started slowly backing away.

Ohmy god I got so many reviews!!! Thank you soooo much!!! I luv ya guys! Review pleeasseee!!!

Hugs,

PrincessVamp

Thanx 2 all u splendiferous people that reviewed!

Crystal—glad u think so! I try...sort of...lol. Hope you like the new chappie!

KuTiExAzNxAnGeL—wow, you have no idea how long your name took to type! What's the AzNx stand for?...thanks so much for reviewing!

Giselle—yay! Another 'I liked it'! I'll try to squish some Darien in there—you guy can always give me ideas—embarrassing stories, etc, for help—or tell me what u like! Thanks!

Madam hawke—happy to oblige!

Squishysquashy—I luv ur name! Glad to hook!

Anhthy—(laughs) I think it would be around three minutes, give or take. (grins...what I wouldn't give to be Serena right then...) and I added the spitting just to show how klutzy she would feel. Kind of like the last straw kind of thing. And who knows...I might bring it up in the next few chappies. Thanks for reviewing!

Yunyin—thanks! I'll update as often as possible! Lovin' all the reviews!

Hey—hey urself! Glad u like it—it was kind of just a little idea toying around in my head, and I decided to put it down on paper. And look how it turned out! (So far...)

Sailor Libra—u read my mind! I figured, try to get Serena acting as ditzy as possible, and throw in bit of Darien...equals disaster. (or at least embarrassment!)

Belle—I hope u like this next chappie! Bye!

Becx—that's exactly the idea! (shh!) lol. It's gonna be really funny to write the next chapters...thanks for ur review!

Eo—thanks! (I'm really hoping that my next chapters won't suck and scare u guys away!)

Meg-of-the-Moon—THANKS SO MUCH for that granny thing—I thought it was awesome! (I used it, look (points up)) I feel bad for Sere—but don't worry, it'll all end up well!

Karone-sakura—wait, you need a plot? J/k! I have an inkling of what I want to do, but if you guys want to tell me what u like I'll see if I can fit it in! thanx!

Becky-Joe3689—happy u like! (hugs herself) I got so many reviews I had to stop myself from jumping around! Luv ya all!


	3. All in the Attitude

Hey all! Sorry it took so long!

(drum roll) heerreeee is the third chappie! Yay!

I hope you like it!

R-E-V-I-E-W! I luv ya all!

I own nothing; you all know that.

"_The moon to the tide...I can feel you inside..."_ –Buffy the Vampire Slayer CD.

Sophisticate _this!_

Chapter 3

It was blue...a sky blue with a watery sheen...glittering, shimmering, and glossy like the wing of a crow...

Raye shook herself abruptly out of her reverie and glared at Serena. "I said no!"

Serena wiped her watering blue eyes and got up off of her knees to smile angelically at her friend. "No, you actually said, 'Why the hell would you want to change who you are for some retarded guy!'...to which I want to reply: Because unlike you I don't _have_ a guy!" She pouted. "And I'm not changing myself. Just...adjusting."

Raye folded her arms. "What's in it for me?"

"Brownies."

Raye's ears perked up. "Brownies!? From wher—uh, I mean...what kind of brownies and from where?"

Serena moistened her mouth. She could tell this was going to take some quick thinking. Ugh. "Brownies from the arcade!"

The raven-haired beauty raised an eyebrow. _Let's see how much I can get outta her for this,_ she chuckled evilly to herself.

"Stop cackling," Serena giggled. Raye stopped quickly, a startled look in her violet eyes. "Thinking out loud again, Raye?"

"Shut up," Raye sulked. _I need to stop doing that._

"Ice-cream sundae brownies!" Serena had an epiphany and raised her arm in the air as she shouted it out.

Raye's grin was stretched across of face and her eyes shone unnaturally. "Okay!" she twittered.

"Now that's settled...teach me to be mysterious...and aloof...and sexy..." Serena smirked.

Raye dragged Serena unceremoniously into her room and shoved her into the center of the floor. "Stay." She ordered, and then dove into her closet.

Serena winced at the noises Raye was making. There were bangs, and some rips, and... "Raye, was that a firecracker?"

"Nope!" was the hurried answer. The frazzled girl pulled out of her closet and dragged some clothes with her.

"Okay," Raye said seriously. "First, we go with appearance. I know you already did that with Mina, but here's my input." She held up a pair of skintight black leather pants. Serena's eyes bulged, but she squirmed into them. Next she was forced into a strapless blue shirt, so dark it appeared nearly black until the sun hit it.

"God Raye! Where'd you get all these clothes!...and you call me slutty," she muttered under her breath.

"Heard that," the dark haired girl tossed over her shoulder as she searched for some appropriate shoes. She came up with some black pumps.

Serena slipped them on and tottered around for a bit while Raye figured out what to do with Serena's hair and face.

"Sit," she ordered the blonde, and then set to work decorating Serena's face. She used some liquid eyeliner around the top and bottom half of her eyes, and then blended some grey shadows up to the crease. A little white brow highlighting, some light pink blush, and a faint purply-red stain on her lips later, and her face was done.

Raye then looked at the blonde, and realized what had to be done. "Wish me luck," she murmured, and bravely went where no sane girl has gone before: she curled Serena's hair.

First pulling the hair out of the odango and ponytail apparel, then brushing it out, and then curling the layers so they fell in soft, silvery-blond curls to her knees.

About an hour later she was finally done. Serena had remained quiet for most of it—just a few "Ow!" and "Are you trying to rip my head off, Raye?"'s.

Now came the hard part. Raye spun the girl around to face her. "Okay...Serena, I want you to think of me as some really hot guy. Try to flirt with me."

Serena shrugged. "Okay."

Then she flung herself on Raye and started air-kissing all over her face. Raye shrieked in horror and tried to peel the crazy blond off her. "What are you DOING?!" She demanded, terrified. "I said _flirt_, not rape!" she shuddered. "Eww..."

Serena frowned. "I _was._"

Raye's mouth dropped open. "Um...do I even want to ask how you and Kenny got together?" she wondered out loud.

Serena twinkled. "Probably not."

"...New subject please..."

"So how do you want me to flirt with you?" Serena asked seriously.

"_Subtly."_ Raye told her. Then she paused, brushing back some of her own hair. "Maybe I should flirt with you first..."

There were pounding footsteps outside, and both girls looked at the stairs oddly. Then a blond-haired, blue-eyed, gorgeous specimen of the male species appeared in the doorway. "Jason!" Raye's features literally lit up and became even more beautiful as she catapulted across her room for a long, long welcome kiss. Jason folded her up in his arms and lifted her off of the floor.

Serena sighed. _I wish Darien would kiss me like that,_ she thought wistfully. She could picture it now..._I'm getting ready for bed, wearing a light blue silk nightie,_ she dreamed, _when all of a sudden my window slides open and Darien gracefully drops into my room...and he crosses the space between us in microseconds and picks me up before kissing me senseless..._she became enraptured in her daydream...and was only woken up about five minutes later by some intense smacking noises.

"God, you guys!" she leaned over and started throwing books at the two of them. Jason fended them off with one hand while still snogging the life out of Raye. Serena rolled her eyes.

Finally they separated. "Finally! I was running out of things to throw," Serena pretended to be relieved.

Raye mock-glared at her friend before turning to her boyfriend. "I'm teaching Serena how to attract guys."

"Easy." Jason's smile was blinding even to Serena, who only got about a third of it. "Be Raye."

Raye grinned. "Good answer. But seriously...will you help? I'm teaching her how to flirt."

He shrugged. "Sure...what 'd ya want me to do?"

An evil grin crossed the two girls faces.

About two minutes later the scene was laid out. Jason was standing near the window, some music was playing, and Raye was monitering the two.

"And..._action!"_ Raye ordered, then started to take notes.

Serena sauntered over to Jason, stopping on the way to talk to some pretend people, and slowly made her way over to Jason. "Hey, I'm Serena," she introduced herself. "Wanna go make out?"

"Cut!" Raye jumped in between them, grabbing onto Serena. She looked frazzled. "No! Serena! Not so direct!" she shook her head. "I give up," she sighed, sagging onto Jason. She sent Serena a sneaky look. "Let's go to the arcade and _you_ can get me that brownie ice cream sundae you promised!" she squealed.

Serena sighed. "Okay...but you're not getting away with this so easily _next_ time!" she warned the delighted priestess, who ignored her.

"Brown-ie! Brown-ie! Brown-ie!" Raye chanted, looking off into space and starting to drool. Jason grinned before capturing Raye's mouth in his own.

Serena rolled her eyes and went to the door. "Five minutes, guys, before I leave without 'cha!" she told them, and then left.

She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of iced tea from the fridge. A cleared throat made her jump. She squeaked and whirled around to see...Grandpa. Raye's grandfather, the owner of the shrine.

"Hiya Serena," the old man squinted up at her.

"Hello Grandpa," Serena bent down a hugged him.

"Do you want to work at the temple? We could always use some help...?"

She laughed. "No, Grandpa. But...I need some help with something." She sat down on a straw mat and Grandpa joined her. "How do you get a guy to like you?"

Grandpa sniffed. "You're too young to be searching for men! Raye's too young, but she won't listen to me! Her own flesh and blood! Why, back in my day, when an elder told us young 'uns to do something, we jumped to it! If they said 'no dating', we wouldn't date! But nooo..."

His rant was interrupted by Raye and Jason coming into the room. "Grandpa," Raye laughed. "You know you love Jason."

Grandpa was silent for a moment. "He helps around the Temple," he admitted grudgingly. "But no one's good enough for you, granddaughter."

Raye's eyes glimmered with tears for a moment before she swooped up her Grandfather in a huge hug. Serena and Jason shared a smile.

Twenty minutes later the three were entering the Arcade.

_Okay. Gotta be cool. Gotta stick with Raye; she knows what to do,_ Serena thought, trying not to panick. Here she was, wearing barely anything, in a place where tons of eligible young men were walking around, just _looking _for a piece of ass.

"Hey!" Serena freaked out when Raye and Jason started walking away from her, hand in hand. "_Where_ are you going!?"

"The back room," Raye tossed the words over her shoulder carelessly. "Andrew gave us the key. Just be yourself, Sere. You'll rock!"

Serena tried not to hyperventilate. Then she saw him. Her savior. Her rock in a tossing ocean. "Andrew!" she ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck.

Andrew tried to detach the blonde with a death grip. Serena then noticed with horror that Darien was sitting _right_ next to Andrew!

"I'm sorry...do I know you, miss?" Andrew asked cordially.

Serena frowned. "Stop playing, Andrew. It's not funn—oh!" she flushed as she remembered all her makeup and her hair and clothes. "It's me—Serena!"

"Meat-ball Head?" Darien asked in disbelief. His eyes widened. "Holy..."

Andrew scowled. "Serena, that is way too revealing an outfit to be wearing outside of your home," he lectured. "As your honorary big-brother, I feel it is my duty to tell you that if _any_ guy comes up to you today, Darien and I are gonna have to knock his lights out."

Serena smiled angelically at him. She wasn't so naïve as to not know that by doing that she was the perfect seductress. Now, she just had to aim her charms on the black-haired gorgeous man next to Andrew!

"Why would Darien help you, Andrew? He's not my 'big brother'," she fluttered her eyelashes. "And you _know_ that I could take care of any 'unwanted attention' by myself."

"The hell you can," Darien's eyes were snapping as he stood up. Serena's head fell back as she looked up at him. He grabbed her arm. "Come on, Serena. I don't know what you parents were thinking, letting you out of the house dressed like that; but I'm taking you home."

Serena's eyes hardened. _This is the opposite of what I wanted to happen!_ She lamented. _He was supposed to be swayed by my feminine wiles—not get all protective!_

"I'm nearly eighteen, Darien," she tried unsuccessfully to yank her arm out of his death grip. "I can dress however the hell I want, and I'll thank you to keep your nose out of it!"

"The _hell_ I will," He propelled the blonde towards the door; Serena fighting the entire way. Half of the Arcade's customers had fallen silent and were watching this spectacle with interest. "Practically all the males in this room are getting off on just _looking_ at you, Serena," he snapped, closing the doors behind them and shoving her in her convertible. "And if you think I'm just going to let them, you have another think coming."

An idea struck Serena, and she was so amused by it that she let Darien manhandle her into his car. She even let him start the convertible and pull out of his parking space before she asked, "Are you?"

He looked oddly at her. "Am I what?"

She let the smirk come over her face slowly; her eyes sparkling like two blue fairies. "Getting off on it?" She nearly blushed at making such a suggestive question, but she was more interested in seeing how he would react.

She wasn't disappointed.

_SccChhhreecchhhh!_ Darien _slammed_ on the breaks. Luckily they were on a quiet road. "_What!?"_

The smirk became a full out grin. "Are you—"

"I _heard_ you—I just..." Darien looked at her, and Serena thought she might melt from the piercing gaze. She realized then, just what kind of a situation they were in. A quiet road, in a small car, about six inches away from each other, and both of them were breathing heavily from their argument.

Serena was gratified to see a light blush stain Darien's cheeks. "Oh, come on, Darien. You're twenty-one-ish, right?" _Lie...she knew _exactly_ how old he was._ "You must have had tons of girls ask you this."

"That would be a '_none_ of your business, Meatball Head,'" Darien looked away and started driving the car again.

"Oh, it would be my...business," Serena moistened her lips. Darien made a strangled noise.

"Serena, _stop_," he ordered, his breath coming quickly. His voice was curt. He pulled up in front of her house. Serena frowned slightly when he got out and walked around to her side. _This isn't going at all to plan_, she thought, annoyed.

Darien opened the door and helped her out. "Go inside and change into something appropriate," he told her, not so commanding anymore.

She looked up at him. As usual, her breath caught in her throat at his beauty. "Why did you freak out at my outfit? Other girls wear stuff lots more revealing than this, and you've _never_ told them to go change," she demanded.

He sighed. "Just go, Serena."

She pursed her lips. "Fine. If you're going to be such a protective idiot, than maybe I should tell you that the girls and I are going clubbing on Saturday night, and I will be wearing an outfit _much_ more revealing than this." And with that remark, Serena whirled around and stomped into her house.

Darien stood outside, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Is that a threat or a promise, Meatball Head?" he asked under his breath, watching as the beautiful girl slammed the door. "I'll find out."

OOOh! Another chapter! I know this one took a while...and I'm sorry! But it's got lots of Darien goodiness! (drools for a second.)

Okay, seriously here: I have a question. Which would you all rather: that when Darien and Serena get together, should it be like an argument and all violent and kissing, or should it be romantic and sweet? Let me know in a review!

I luv you all! Oh my god! Fifty reviews for two chapters! I thought I was going to _die_ from happiness!

I swear I won't ever desert this story...

Please review!

Luv,

PrincessVamp.


	4. Dance 'till you Drop

PrincessVamp creeps out from a corner, peering around. Seeing no people, she sighs and steps out. Immediately a barrage of rotten fruits and veggies are pelted at her by angry authors, and she screams before jumping back to hide

I'm so sorry I took so long! I was aiming for uploading one chapter every week, but last weekend was so incredibly hectic I didn't even get started on it till this Wednesday! I'm so sorry!

Please forgive me...and please keep reading and reviewing! I luv you all!

I'm so incredibly exuberant at all these stupendous reviews! (look at how many big words I used! –j/k) but honestly, you guys seriously make my week when you review. I _adore_ them. (I also adore writing, but, hey, the other helps me write!)

So REVIEW, dahlings, and I shall update more quickly! (again, I swear not to desert this story.)

I own nothing; no SM, no songs, no nothing. Don't sue!

WARNING: THIS SECTION IS MORE PG-16! If you are offended please do not read, or at least do not report me for bad rating systems! If you want me to, I can up the rating to R!

Enjoy the read! TTFN!

"_Who wants to be ordinary, in a crazy mixed up world. I don't care what they're saying, as long as I'm your girl..." _Michelle Branch, _Spirit Room_

Sophisticate _this!_

Chapter Four.

Darien paced around the small back room of the arcade, his hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, eyes concentrating on anything but Andrew's knowing gaze. "I just don't get it, Andy! I've seen girls a few years younger wear tiny outfits, and half a pound of unnecessary makeup, and I've never, _never_, ever reacted like that."

"What, a massive—"

"So protectively!...and possessively! I swear, I practically growled at a few of the other guys in there that were just glancing at her! And she didn't get it!"

Darien ran a hand through his already unruly midnight hair. Andrew tried not to snicker as it stuck up all over at odd angels. "She's so..._innocent!_ So trusting, and naïve, and so fucking _sweet_," he nearly gnashed his teeth together on that word, "That she doesn't see boys for what they really are! Just hormonal bodies with dicks!"

"She needs a man," Andrew commented, enjoying the show. _I swear, _ he thought fondly, _I need some popcorn for this. How often do I see Darien lose his cool?_ He grinned. _Not nearly enough. _

"Exactly!" Darien stopped wearing a trail through the floor and stared at Andrew. "Wait—" His eyes narrowed.

Andrew saw the thought flash clearly through Darien's features. "No way," he laughed. "Dare, you know I'd never date Serena. She's practically my little sister!" _With killer curves. _Andrew grinned again. _Even if my hands can't; my mind sure can appreciate the package my 'lil sis' came in!_ He stopped, frowned, and shook his head. _That came out sounding a lot more perverted that I meant it to._

"Precisely—a little sister!" Darien sounded like he was trying to convince himself of this fact. He pounded his fist into his hand with every word. "Little. Younger. Innocent. _She needs to be watched."_ His face was aggressive.

Andrew started to get alarmed. "Whoa, boy. Slow down. Serena _is_ nearly eighteen, after all. Raye is dating a guy a year older than us, and I've overheard that she and—Jared?, no—Jason, have done more than kiss. Serena is perfectly entitled to a boyfriend, to hold hands, to kiss...to wear indecent clothing and makeup...do her hair...er...whose side am I on again?"

Darien grinned. "Serena's side. I think. Towards the end of that little speech, I think you were coming over to my way of thinking. She's _too _young, _too_ trusting. _Too_ goddamnably attractive for her own good! She _must be guarded!"_

Andrew started nodding. "You know, I think you're right," he surprised himself by agreeing. "She is a little too...er...little, to be doing anything so...adult."

Knowing he had nearly won, Darien pulled out his trump card. "She and the girls are going to a club this Saturday night. She told me herself she would be wearing a _very_ revealing outfit."

Watching Andrew's eyes widen in big-brotherly fury, Darien grinned. "Just think...poor sweet, naïve, Serena. In a big, mean club that half the occupants are using as a make-out zone, and the other half are practically doing it as they dance!" Conveniently he forgot to mention how his statistics were...huh...incorrect. Some people just went to dance, but Andrew didn't need to know that. cue evil laugh...

"Damn straight!" He headed straight for the telephone, dialing a number he had long ago memorized and written on his heart. "Rita? Sweetie, I need a favor..."

Darien smirked.

Serena nervously twisted the ring around her finger. _I can't believe I'm having second thoughts,_ she thought, half angry with herself. _I was just in one of the situations with Darien that I've dreamed of since I was like, fifteen, and now I'm questioning my plan! _ She threw up her hands and fell on her bed, then shrieked and leaped up quickly. _No ruining the outfit!_ She mentally berated herself. She grinned at her reflection in the mirror.

All the girls had helped her to dress. She was wearing black leather pants again, along with strappy black heeled sandals. Her top was a bib; the white fabric just covering the front of her chest, and then falling to her belly-button in a sheer, short layer. Her actual chest was covered with silky white fabric, and she (Serena gulped as she looked) wasn't wearing a bra. Her hair was pulled back in a huge messy bun, the golden hue with silvery strands just about spilling over its ties. Her beautiful eyes were enhanced so they'd be dramatic in the dark lights of the club, and her lipstick was a dark red stain.

She groaned. "And I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing; little innocent Serena wearing this, planning to go and seduce Dar—"

"Serena Irene Tsukino!" a shocked voice came from the doorway. Luna was standing shock-still, staring at her charge. "What in Serenity's name are you wearing!?"

Serena coughed nervously. "Um...not much?"

"You got that right, Princess!" Luna stalked over to her. "Put on something more appropriate this _instant!"_ the little black cat jumped up on Serena's bed and glared at her.

Serena gnawed her lower lip. _I can't believe I'm doing this,_ she thought pathetically. "No, Luna. I'm really sorry, but I can't. I'll _die_ if I change!" she cried, clasping her hands, calling tears to her eyes (as many tears as possible without ruining her makeup, of course.) "Mina and Raye will _kill_ me if I change! We spent so much time over my appearance!"

Luna frowned. "As a Princess you may _not_ wear such inappropriate clothing!"

Serena suddenly beamed. A way out! "But I'm _not_ a princess right now," she pointed out slyly. "I'm just little old Serena! No court photographer will see me, I promise," she winked impishly.

"Serena..."Luna flopped down on the bed. "You have a responsibility," she tried to explain. "To..."

Serena suddenly frowned. "To what? My past?" she laughed shortly, then exhaled. "I'm not the princess anymore, Luna," she looked down, eyes sad. "I'm...mixed up. But I never get to do fun things! I'm just...stuck. I'm supposed to _act_ like a Princess but not let anyone _know_ that I am. I'm supposed to be _nice_ like a Princess but not get walked over. I'm supposed to _look_ like a Princess but not like a normal teenager. I'm supposed to _behave_ like a Princess but not let anyone know what I'm feeling. Sometimes...I just wanna be _me_. I'm not Serenity—and I will be in a few years. I know you're supposed to teach me how to be Neo-Queen Serenity, but you aren't tonight, so just _please,_ please, pretty please let me go. I won't do anything stupid." She looked up at Luna, her eyes glittering as she actually told her guardian what she really felt. "Just..." she sighed. "...please."

Luna, guardian to the Princess, advisor to the late Queen Serenity, was torn. She didn't know what to do. On one hand, she was the guardian; watching out for the Princess, in her mind, also equaled proect her from danger. And boys were certainly danger; as were clubs and such.

On the other hand, Serena was a mature young woman who had grown up in a busy city. She knew how to handle herself, and being Sailor Moon had certainly encouraged the 'know how to defend yourself' aspect of protection.

"The girls will be there?" she asked quietly.

Serena half smiled. "Yes."

Luna let out a deep breath. _I'm too young to feel so old_, she thought. "I'll let you go on one condition," she relented finally.

Serena's eyes lit up and she really smiled. "It better not be a chasity belt," she joked.

Luna eyed her. "There had better be no reason for one," she retorted. Her eye was kind, however. "Take your locket with you."

Serena was surprised. "That's it? I was going to do that anyway. I don't know where I'll put it, though..."

She took out the locket from her dresser drawer, where it was hidden. Looking at it speculatively, she asked, "Do' ya think it'll fit in my shirt?"

"If you want three breasts, it will," Luna laughed at her. "It not..." she jumped down and walked around Serena. "Put it in your hair," she suggested. "It will be hidden but usable."

Serena tucked it in her hair and pinned it in the center. "All safe," she reassured the cat. "Don't worry, Luna."

A honk sounded from outside. Alarmed, Serena glanced at the clock. Its glowing numbers read 7:45. "I'm late!" she shrieked, before grabbing her perfume and spritzing herself lightly, then picking up her handbag and her coat and running downstairs, to the door. "I'll be back late, Luna—don't wait up!"

And with that, she ran out the door, leaving one slightly concerned cat.

When Serena, Lita, Raye, Jason, Mina, Amy, and Trent (one of the many guys Mina went through), the club was already heated, musty, dark, and the beat was pulsing irresistibly. Mina and Raye immediately disappeared on the dance floor with their boyfriends, and the other three girls went to the counters to drop off their coats. "You guys look great!" Serena shouted to Lita and Amy.

Lita grinned back. She had gone with her signature color of dark green, with a halter top, then black, flaring dance pants, and black ballet flats. Her hair spilled over her shoulders sexily and her emerald eyes flashed in the throbbing lights. "I know," she answered cockily, winking at the petite blonde.

Amy tossed her hair back. The reserved fourteen year old they had first known was nearly gone. She still had her sweet and studious habits, but was enjoying her adolescence at the same time. She was dressed more conservatively in a muted silver spaghetti strap shirt, and a not-so-conservative black mini skirt with silver heels that wrapped in ribbons to her calves. "Shut up and dance," she ordered saucily, before catching the eye of a hot prospective guy and dancing herself over to him.

Serena swayed her hips to the music. She loved to dance; the music seemed to fill up inside her and wrap around her soul. She and Lita wound their bodies around each other, rolling themselves together. Serena wasn't even surprised when some eager guy's hands descended on her hips and pulled her back against him. Without even looking at his face she went to work, then laughed out loud when Beyonce's old hit song 'Bootylicious' came on.

Slowly, torturously, she turned her body to face her partners. She looked up and was surprised to see a handsome guy gazing down at her—usually the more eager ones were ugly—at least in her experience. But his hands were practiced, sliding up and down her back, guiding her to the music. She snorted. As if she needed guidance; she'd show him. Serena Tsukino _knew_ how to dance!

The lights dimmed even more; everyone's movements were blurred by the throbbing lights, and the music engulfed her. She twined and rolled against him, hearing his breath come short, feeling his hands grasping her ass, loving the movements of everyone pressed so closely together, yet somehow feeling distant.

The song ended and her arms were wrapped around his neck, his arms around her back, their bodies sweating together. Their eyes met and held. She studied his face.

His eyes were hard, his hair was dark brown, curly, and his features sharp and hollow. He was fit, his body practiced.

When he spoke, his voice was low and raspy. "Let's go to my truck," he suggested, and Serena paused.

It would be fun to go make-out in some guys' truck; a random interaction that would mean nothing the next day. She knew she wouldn't go too far with a guy just after meeting him and wasn't worried about sex. It was...Darien. What if he was here? What would she think; seeing him the next day?

She looked briefly away from the guy's piercing eyes. They weren't as intense as Darien's were. Then she looked up and her eyes met familiar ones.

Dark blue met crystal blue. The ocean and the sky. Darkness and light. Serena frowned. Tonight she didn't want to be the innocent little girl; she wanted some darkness. To hell with the consequences—(Darien, ahem)—she wanted fun. And if Darien wasn't gonna give her some fun; why shouldn't she take some when it was offered from this guy?

"Why not?" she asked, moving her body sinuously to the beat of the new song, looking at Darien's eyes instead of the other guy's. "Let's go."

Darien was _piiiised. _After Andrew had gotten Rita to call Amy and find out which club the girls were going to; (the Night Rose Club)—he had convinced Andrew to go with him to 'keep an eye on things.'

And what had happened? Barely five minutes after he'd arrived, he'd found her—er, them. Serena was stunning, as usual, wearing some tight pants that fit her like skin, and a barely-there shirt. Her hair was up and she looked like a goddess. The other girls were beautiful as well, but his eyes were only for Serena.

Then she started dancing. He nearly exploded when he saw some hot-shot teenager take her small, lithe, sexy body and grind against her. Then she turned, and her eyes had met his. He was sure she could see every expression of his face. The fury; the protectiveness; the need. He was half-mad from wanting her—and the little vixen knew it! Then he saw her lips move, and the boy started leading her off the floor.

_No fucking way,_ Darien thought immediately, and moved to block their way. He stood right in front of them, eyes locked on Serena's.

The boy tried to push past him. "Move, dude," he ordered.

Darien gave him a _look_. "Back off." He took Serena's arm and tried to propel her away from the loser.

She wasn't going that easily. "What the fuck, Darien?" she tried to tear her arm away from him. _Why is he always so freaking protective?_ She thought angrily. _And why does he _always_ grab my arm!?_ "What are you doing?!"

"Getting you away form him," he told her, eyes meeting hers.

She dug her heels in the floor and he nearly tripped before pulling her close to him. The music was going again and it was hard to hear, and bodies were writhing all around them.

"For your information," she told him testily, "What I do is my own business. I don't know who appointed you the Serena patrol, but you're off duty now, Cap'n." Her anger flared up. "I already have four guardians, I don't need another!"

Darien glared at her, his face barely half a foot from hers. "You do if you can't stop yourself from getting into these stupid situations!" he yelled at her. "If you weren't so immature—so—so _irresponsible—_so—"

Serena's face was turning red. "You _pompous_, _arrogant,_ asshole!" she leaned closer to him, eyes narrowed. "How _dare_ you tell me how I act!? I'm doing this whole thing _for_ you!"

He barely had a thought to think about that sentence before he finally gave into the urge that had been running through him for the past week, before letting a growl escape his throat and yanking her flush against him, his hands grasping her slim upper arms. "Did you _like_ how he was handling you?" he snarled, barely registering her semi-frightened look as her eyes darted back and forth from his own. "Did you _like_ his sweaty hands running all over your body? His trying to get in your pants?" He leaned in so they were nose to nose. "He has to get through me first," Darien growled, and then gave in. He closed his mouth over her parted lips, and surrendered to the storm of emotions that had been running rampant. His last coherent wasn't even registered in his mind: _You're mine._

Wow...that was...um...probably more than PG-13. Hope you guys don't mind. If you _do_, tell me! Don't kick my stories off ! _please!_

I'm sorry for taking so long, again. I wrote this in a hurry, so it's not as good or humorous, but I think each story needs it's kind of angsty sections, and this was mine. As always, please REVIEW, and send me suggestions!

I hope you liked it! I'll try to update every weekend!

Love, PrincessVamp.


	5. Confusion and the First Attack!

Hi-Hi! Me again!

Enjoy this chappie!

Sophisticate _this!_

Chapter 5.

He tasted sweet. Like when you're eating M&M's on a hot summer day and they're kind of melted and you put one in your mouth; or when you smoosh up all your ice cream so it's like a really really thick milkshake. But he wasn't so innocent as ice cream and chocolate.

She couldn't help her mind from drifting—she couldn't think anyway. His hands had moved from her forearms and were now wrapped possessively around her slim body, and she had taken full advantage of the situation and was nearly suction cupped to him; one hand on the nape of his neck, curling in his hair; the other pressing in on his back, trying to mold him to her.

The mood was so intense Serena thought she might be hallucinating—but none of her fantasies had ever been so real. The music was pounding, the room smelled of sweat, musky heat, and too many people moving together. Her tongue was currently mating with Darien's tongue, their mouths moving together in a dance that was ancient. Something in the back of her mind sparkled and came to life; celebrating at the reunion of a timeless love. His hands were moving all around her naked back, slowing down over the ties that held her shirt on. At the moment, Serena could have cared less that there were a hundred and fifty-odd people in the room with them; she wanted him to pull the ties off so badly. Fortunately he didn't—but they both wanted him to.

Darien, if he had been thinking clearly, would have been shocked at himself. He was holding onto her so tightly he was surprised she could breath, (and still kiss him like there was no tomorrow), and their mouths were bruising from the pressure exerted from all their pent-up emotions. However, he wasn't thinking. He was acting with the primitive instinct that is buried inside all of us.

Serena pulled away slightly just to gasp some air into her aching lungs, and her eyes met his. Any other time they might have conveyed silent understanding, but right now the only understanding was that they both desired one another. Never mind that her heart would break later when she thought back to this moment and tried to find any emotion in his eyes other than lust—right now she had Darien in her arms, and she wouldn't give that up easily. He dipped his head back down, and this time she met him halfway.

Her breathing was ragged, her hands racing over his back, making a trail of fire inside of him. She felt as though she was floating, her body tingling, warm. _So this is what heaven feels like,_ she thought dazedly.

Darien was so into the moment that he barely noticed when someone jostled him. That did, however, wake him up. He jerked away so fast Serena stumbled and fell into him. _Oh my God,_ he thought, looking down into her confused, beautiful eyes. Her lips were swollen and bruised from his kiss, and, God help him, he wanted to kiss her again until she was begging for…

…Something that would never happen. He helped her stand up straight, but she refused to let go of his arms.

"Darien…"

The name was spoken with such hope, such pure feeling, that he hated himself.

"I'm sorry Serena—it won't happen again." He forced himself to say the words. _It's for the best, _he rationalized. _I'm four years older, and I'm…not good for her. She needs someone who hasn't seen the darkness in this world. _

_Slap!_

His head jerked to the side before he caught himself and turned to stare at her. She was shaking in fury, her eyes glinting. "How dare you." Her voice was low and dangerous. "How dare you say that."

Confusion flitted across his face. "What?"

She shuddered in anger, her delicate body practically vibrating. "Tell me you hate me, tell me you love me, tell me _anything—_" She paused to take a steadying breath, "But _don't tell me it was a mistake._"

_But I don't know if it is or isn't,_ Darien yearned to say, but he kept his stoic face on. "I—" He started helplessly, not knowing what he was going to say.

Fortunately—or unfortunately, he didn't know—he was interrupted by a dozen screams. Both of their heads jerked towards the sound, and Darien gasped.

An enormous, hulking monster was swiping at the crowd with large, fearsome claws. His arms seemed too long for his body—it took Darien a minute to realize the reason why.

Its arms were stretching out each time he swung them. People were nearly becoming sliced in half with ever torque of the monster's body. Darien's first thought was to get Serena out of there, but when he looked down he gasped.

She was gone.

Serena leaned against a wall outside of the building, hidden behind a corner as terrified civilians rushed through the doors. She could hear people screaming for their loved ones, friends. Some people were just crying. She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes.

"I have responsibilities you've never dreamed of, Darien," she whispered to herself. Then she pulled her locket out of her messy bun and held it up.

"Moon Crystal…POWER!"

Blinding pink lights erupted around her as Serena was lifted into the air, immense white wings appearing on her back. Then a flurry of feathers covered her, and then the vanished, revealing her in her leotard. A few bright flashes later, and Sailor Moon had arrived. Serena turned and sprinted into the building, hoping the frightened crowds hadn't spotted her.

When her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she saw the other Sailors already bombarding the monster with their attacks. After burning it thoroughly, Mars was smirking when Jupiter helped out with some electric bolts. Then Mina wrapped up the demon in her love chain to hold it still, and Mercury froze it, then stopped the ice before it covered the demon's head.

Sailor Moon stepped forwards. "Who sent you?" she asked quietly.

The demon snarled, its yellow eyes bulging. "I'll have a message," it growled.

"What is it?" Mars asked sharply. Sailor Moon sent her a quelling look and mars quieted.

"Lord Diemun, Master of All-Whom-Remain-From-Queen-Beryl's-Stupid-Attacks, says to relinquish the Earth! If you prove obstinate in following our demands, we will destroy this planet. All Hail Lord Diemun!" He stopped his prayerful (can demons look prayerful?) yodeling, and scowled at the Scouts. "What is your answer?!"

"Your lord can shove—" Mars began hotly, before Sailor Moon interrupted.

Moon's blue eyes were hard. "I see no conquering forces," she sneered elegantly at the demon. "I just see a rat—a bug that needs squishing. Tell your 'Lord' that he is also a bug, and that I personally will squash him." She tilted her head, and smiled cruelly. "The Sailor Scouts will always prevail, you worthless insect. Get out of here."

The demon snarled, then vanished—presumably back to whatever hell dimension he had come from.

Sailor Moon sighed. Mercury turned to her. "Sailor Moon, why didn't we destroy him?" she questioned. "He may return to kill us—"

"If he hadn't told that Diemun, then their lord would have just sent a bigger, eviler messenger," Venus told the other Scouts. "There was no point in dusting him."

Jupiter pouted. "But I like dusting the demons!"

Mars grinned. "I'm still ahead of you! I've dusted more demons than you!" she started dancing around foolishly.

Jupiter frowned. "That's only 'cuz you were a Scout before I was!" she defended, chasing after Mars.

Sailor Moon sighed again and started walking towards the back exit. "One more evil, one more time saving the world," she lamented. "What else is new?" She paused, thinking the question over in her head. _Other than making out with my old enemy, who is now the love of my life, but he seems to think that we shouldn't be intimate,_ she realized, sadly. Then she brightened. _Well, I will just have to convince him! _Then she giggled.

Venus and Mercury traded looks. The same thought passed through their heads at their princess's insane giggling. _This can't be good._

Oh, I'm sorry! This is taking a while to upload on the net! It's cuz of the holiday—I should have had time but I didn't! and it's short—I know! I'm sorry!

Forgive me and review, pleze!

Again, I adore all you who have reviewed!

Please, Please continue to R-E-V-I-E-W!!!

Hugs and kisses and hope you all had a fantabulous Thanksgiving!

Love PrincessVamp!


	6. Battle's Aftermath

Hi.

….

……

………

If you're going to kill me for taking so long, could you just get it over with?!

…….

…..

….

Princessvamp pokes her head out cautiously from under her computer desk, completely oblivious to the fact that there is an UFT—an unidentified flying tomato, heading at her at break-neck speed.

Ow.

Okay, I'm really really sorry! I had absolutely no clue where to go with this fic! I'm a horrible horrible person! But please, no more tomatoes!

Really, I didn't know what to do. I had half a page written, and I didn't know how to get from depressed Serena to the happy, humorous and romantic fic that this is supposed to be. You've all been so fantabulous, with your gazillions of reviews, which make my day every single time I get one, (or two!) (YIPEE!)

But I finally figured out how to get around it satisfactorily, and I hope you're going to be able to forgive me for taking so long…

I'm making this chapter nice and humongously long!

Please, please, please forgive me! …and R-E-V-I-E-W!

(REVIEW, REVIEW, R-R-REVIEW!) Princessvamp does an impromptu scary dance in her fuzzy slippers, before sitting down and checking to see that no one saw.

Okay, now…read!

Have fun!

Love,

Princessvamp

Sophisticate _this! _

Chapter 6

Once Serena arrived home, her cheerful mood had vanished. She made her excuses for being so late to her parents (hiding her outfit underneath the huge coat she'd brought) , then ran up to her room and threw herself on her bed, nearly squashing Luna. She grabbed her favorite bunny-shaped pillow and buried her face in it, then started shuddering. No tears came. Her eyes burned and stung, but remained dry.

Luna tentatively came over to her princess, then started purring and rubbing her head on Serena's shoulder. "What happened, Serena?" she asked through her rumbling purrs.

Serena's shoulders started shaking even more, and it was a few more minutes before she had enough of a hold over herself before she trusted her body to stay sitting up.

Serena let her head fall into her hands, and Luna crawled into her lap. "It's never going to end, is it?" she asked miserably. "The demons…the evil things…the protecting the world…and this universe…" the blonde head shook slightly. "Sailor Moon will always have a calling. And then Neo-Queen Serenity will have to protect the world, and Rini will be Neo-Sailor Moon…" she hiccupped slightly, and turned reddening eyes to Luna. "I don't want my daughter to have to deal with that! I want her to be safe!"

Serena collapsed into her fluffy bed, curling around Luna's small warm body. "I wish everything could be safe," she murmured, before exhaustion took over and she drifted into sleep.

When she woke the next morning, she was, for a moment, blissfully unaware of last night's transgressions. When she lifted her hands to her face and felt her tear-sticky cheeks, the world came crashing back down.

She sat up and frowned slightly. She had never been the type to hold long grudges and be sad for long periods of time: she more like exploded and then simmered, before cooling down to be her normal bubbly self. She figured she was at the simmering stage.

_Now I'm hungry,_ she thought. She pouted. Thinking about simmering had gotten her to thinking about foods you could simmer, and that thought led to food, which led to the fact that she hadn't eaten much last night.

Now she stretched her sore muscles: she hadn't had to fight as Sailor Moon for a long time!—she slowly eased off of her bed a nd then dug her feet into the fuzzy slippers that were lying in wait, just ready to warm up her frigid little toesies.

MEEOWWRRR!!!

Luna had a spaz attack and scrabbled madly at the carpeted floor as Serena's cold toes squashed her toasty little furry body. "SERENA!" she yowled painfully. "Get off of me!"

"OhmigodI'msosorryLunadidihurtyou?" Serena said, kneeling down next to the adreniline-rushed cat.

Luna looked wide-eyed at her charge in disbelief, before launching into a spitting tirade about inconsiderate girls who tried to kill poor little defenseless kitties at indecent times in the morning.

Serena lost interest as soon as she smelled something cooking downstairs. As if in a dream, she lifted up to her feet and floated down the stairs, leaving a furious cat behind her.

"Mama I love you," she said dreamily, gazing at the sausage sizzling on the grill, and the omelet that was slowly cooking through.

Irene Tsukino smirked and turned around from the stove. "I know, sweet—how the hell did you get out of the house wearing that last night without me noticing?!"

Serena froze in the act of reaching for a sausage. She couldn't have looked more comical if a police car's search light had suddenly pinned her. "er…"

Her father, hearing the commotion, clattered down the stairs, nearly tripping on the comic books accumulating at the bottom of the stairway. "What's going—Hey, sausage!"

"_Dear._"

He turned slowly.

He saw Serena.

He saw red.

"WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?" he demanded, as his wife started moaning about how they had gone wrong with their sweet little innocent baby girl.

Serena waited through about five minutes of it before they paused to take a breath. "Well…It could have been worse! I could have been dead from falling off a stair railing wearing this!" she told them, then grabbed some sausages and pelted back upstairs into her room, giggling madly.

She spent the rest of the morning getting her brother riled, avoiding both her parents who were still likely to burst out in lamentations the moment they saw her, and threatened to throw Luna in the sprinklers if she kept lecturing her. After a steaming hot shower and the bare minimum of makeup, pulling her hair up into her normal odango's, and slipping into little brown shorts, a little yellow shirt with lace on the top, and some yellow flipflops, she walked over to Raye's, where they had decided to have a senshi meeting.

"It's been a while since we've had one of these, eh Luna?" she said as a conversation starter as they walked—(or padded)--along.

" 'eh' ?" --Was all the cat chose to remark on.

"…Shut up."

Conversation was effectively stalled.

After climbing the billions of steep stairs it took to get up the shrine, Serena came upon Raye sitting alone in the room, sipping some tea and smiling at a crow, who was perched on a pillow.

"Hello," she whispered, not wanting to disturb the mood.

Raye turned and jumped in surprise. "Serena!"

"Yep."

"It's you!"

"…yep."

"Here!"

"Do I have to answer that?"

"With me!"

…I'm not going to dignify that with a response…well, technically, I just did. Oops."

"Early!" This, seeming to be the point of this little ditty, brought Raye's charming conversation skills to a halt.

"Am I?" Serena looked at her wrist, an was surprised to find that she was actually wearing a watch. "I suppose I am."

Raye froze in horror. "Are you wearing a watch?"

"Uh huh…."

"Armageddadon!" Raye flung herself around the nearest pillow—unfortunately, it was the one the crow was occupying, and the crow let out a squawk before erupting off the pillow in a mass of black feathers and beady eyes and soaring out of the room.

"Sorry Phobos!" Serena called after the startled bird. It was one of Raye's two pet birds: Phobos and Deimos.

Raye let out a keening wail. "She can tell them apart!" she cried, and started screaming into her pillow.

Serena covered her ears and jumped on top of the hysterical girl. "Raye! Stop!" she demanded, trying to squash the raven-haired girl. When that failed to work, she settled for beating her up with a beautifully embroidered Japanese silk throw pillow.

Lita, Amy, Mina and Artemis were walking up the stairs outside the shrine when they heard muffled shrieks and loud _thumps_. Immediately they started sprinting up the remainder of the stairs, ignoring the odd looks they were getting.

"What's going on?" Amy threw open the doors to the room and stopped. All four of the new arrivals looked at each other, then simultaneously started laughing hysterically.

Serena and Raye were on opposite sides of the room, screaming every time the other one threw a pillow at the her. They were yelling out insults as well as screeches, and it was nearly impossible to distinguish one or the other from another. Luna was perched in the corner on a particularly fine pillow, cleaning her paws quietly.

"For about seven minutes," she answered the silent question.

Serena was panicking. There were about twelve pillows total and they were all on Raye's side of the room! The Shinto priestess was looking very, very malicious indeed…Serena let out a whimper as she looked around for something to either throw or defend herself with…

She let out a triumphant yell as she spotted Luna and her pillow, before darting over and yanking said pillow out from said cat. Luna went spinning through the air, before landing in a very undignified manner on top of Mina, who was on the floor laughing and pounding it with her fists, nearly crying with the effort it took to not explode from her giggles. Ignoring this, Serena took careful aim, being careful to note the fact that Raye had an armful of pillows. Grinning evilly, Serena wound up in a way that would make a professional baseball pitcher envious, then let go with the force of a bludger. (read: Harry Potter; hard metal ball that careens after people with the intention of destruction.)

It was a magnificent throw. The speed and force was perfect. Raye's face was a frozen mask of horror and fear, and she was carrying too many pillows for her to get her arms up and cover her face. Just like in the classic horror movies, Raye's mouth opened.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" She cried in a deep, slow-motion voice. All laughter stopped and watched the 10 by 10 inch red satin pillow (with hard purple beads embroidered on one side), whirl through the air.

Amy severely hoped this was one of the cases in which the bread would _not_ land butter-side down, as the beads would hurt Raye's beautiful face.

Serena was panting from the exertion they had been showing in the last ten minutes, pelting each other with pillows. She felt on moisture gathering on the small of her back and feverently wished for it not to show through her thin shirt.

_Wham!_

Raye squeaked, trembling. The pillows fell from her frozen arms. No one inhaled…until…

Mina let a cackle slip from her strawberry-glossed mouth. This seemed to set off a domino effect, as everyone but the two girls standing in the corners of the room reciprocated.

Slowly, very slowly indeed, Serena started breathing again. Raye gave a great shuddering gasp, and then their composure escaped them, and the two girls collapsed on the floor, clutching their sides in an effort to hold back the spleen-bursting giggles that were erupting from their very toes.

As everyone lost themselves to their mirth, they all ignored the poor little red satin pillow, which had exploded on it's contact…of Jason, who had been standing outside the door, on his way to ask Raye if she wanted any help doing her chores. He looked to each and every giggling girl and cat, before brushing the feathers off of his face, and looking down at the cover of the little pillow, lying crumpled on the floor.

"That was terrible aim," was all he contributed to the mad house's dialogue—or lack of. Then he did the sensible thing, which was, of course, to run in there, tackle his shaking girlfriend, and snog the daylights out of her.

Fifteen minutes later, after the much more kissing and promises that she would call him when she started her chores, Raye finally managed to convince Jason that this was girl-time, and he would be much saner by staying far, far away.

Serena flopped onto a pillow. "Okay, so I was thinking about this Diemun Lord guy," she started off, but Lita interrupted her.

"Nuh uh, Sere. First we are going to get a full, detailed account of what happened last night." Suddenly all of the girls were staring at Serena intensely. "_Very_ detailed." Lita elaborated. "Like, you and Darien practically doing the nasty in the middle of the dance floor!"

Artemis went rigid with shock and horror, mingled with exasperation. "Leaving now," he choked out, before dashing from the room.

"Me too!" Luna followed him.

Serena fussed with the scoop of her shirt. "I think you must have me confused with someone else," she mumbled, staring at the floor. "I hate Darien."

"Liar."

Everyone looked up at Mina, who had her arms folded and a superior look on her face. And…was that…? It was! She had a very polished-looking smirk on her face. _I didn't know Mina knew how to look so…snobby!_ Serena thought, astonished.

" 'Goddess of Love', 'Aphrodite', Sailor Venus, Sailor Scout of Love and Beauty…any of these things ringing a bell?" Mina lost the smirk and grinned. "I've known you've fancied Darien for years, Serena. It was totally obvious."

"Did not," Serena protested feebly. "I just…think he's really, really sweet, and he's protective…and totally hot…"

"Totally edible?" Amy suggested, a slight flush rising to her cheeks, instead of the raging blush that would have appeared three years ago. "I agree."

Serena gaped at Amy.

"Huh?"

Amy pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She only wore them when she wanted to study, or get in 'the thinking mode'. "Don't worry," she correctly interpreted their looks. "He's all yours, Serena. But that doesn't mean I don't have any eyes."

"So tell!" Raye demanded eagerly.

Serena wailed, throwing her hands up. "This isn't fair! Do I quiz you all about your guys? Raye? I've never asked for details about you and Jason!"

"That's because I tell you all," Raye said dismissively. "Get on the with goodies, girl!"

Serena gnawed on her lip before smiling. "Wonderful. He's so…wow."

"Mmm…" Mina was gazing at her raptly, glazed eyes galore. "That's so adorable…"

"So he's a good kisser, then?" Lita interpreted.

Serena flopped back on some pillows, deep in the memory. "Hell yeah. He's so…so…"

"Did he mention your granny panties?" Raye effectively ruined the mood, grinning wickedly.

Serena bolted upright, and shrieked in horror. "Raye!"

"What granny panties?"

Serena groaned while Mina filled Lita and Amy in on the details.

"_Any_way, Can we talk about Lord What's-his-face now?" Serena demanded, beet-red.

Grumbling, the girls complied.

Amy flipped open her mini-Mercury computer, and called up a file.

"I did some research yesterday," she said, "And apparently that demon was correct. Lord Diemun was under Beryl's command, and he was a captain of her armies. He rebelled once, and was only able to get away with it by blaming one of his under-warriors. He didn't like Beryl, or being less than the best, but he was one of the highest demons she had."

Serena wrinkled her nose. "Where do you get all this? Did the demons have a little mini-internet connection website thing where they had little personal biographies?"

Amy looked up, a mysterious look on her face. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," she replied in a monotone, before she started laughing.

"Fine. Keep your secrets," Serena pouted, then laughed as well. "That was a horrible accent," she teased Amy.

"Shaddup."

"Mwah," Serena kissed at Amy.

"Weirdo."

Serena grinned mischievously. "As always!"

Lita rolled her eyes. "So what's the plan to deal with this Lord Diemun guy?"

Raye didn't even raise her eyebrows. "Easy. We dust him and save the world."

"Then we party," Serena added.

"And also in the process, Serena gets her guy!" Amy said positively.

Serena sighed. "How? I flirted, I wore slutty outfits, I hinted, I teased, we kissed, then he left."

"You came, you conquered, and he ran," Mina interpreted.

"Yeah," Serena mumbled miserably.

Raye frowned. "Cheer up, Sere," she consoled. "I grew up with Darien…and I think I have an idea about why he's being so damn secretive and protective and hiding."

Serena locked eyes with the raven-haired girl. "What?"

"I may be wrong," the priestess said slowly, "But I think that he's afraid."

"Of what? Me?" the petite princess's voice was full of disbelief.

"You," Raye repeated firmly. "He's older, and he's afraid to make a commitment to you."

"Why?" Serena's voice was so full of hope…Raye was scared what would happen if that hope was ever shattered.

"Because." She said simply.

"Because why?" Anguish filled Serena's voice, and it cracked. "Why?"

"Because Darien's been shunned his entire life, Serena!" Raye said sharply. "And You're the polar opposite of everything he's ever known! He was an orphan, he was alone, and he was penniless. Then you came along and filled the world with sunlight and hope and beauty and life…and anyone who knows you is going to love you." She grew quiet. "He's afraid to love you."

Raye hadn't realized that while she was speaking she was also describing herself, and, indeed, many of the other girls present. She was alone and hated except for Grandpa and her pet crows, and then Serena had brightened her life up. Then Jason had come along…

Mina had been shunned and insulted and made fun of until she had moved and met all of the girls, but out of all of them Serena had accepted her first. That had meant more to her than anything ever had.

Amy was lonely and too smart and self-conscious to change. Serena had bounded into her world and turned it upside-down…and now Amy wouldn't change a thing. Now her life had a purpose and meaning and love.

Lita…she had been feared, and consequently alone. She'd been used. She'd been bitched at; she'd been in fights. Serena had taken her horrible life and soothed her, smoothing out the bad until Lita would die for her.

Serena's breathing was now harsh. "Why would someone be afraid to love me?" she asked in a torn voice.

"Because," Raye answered honestly. "Once you love, Serena…you'll never let go. You'll protect that person until your death…you'll hold on and dig your heels in and love them and do anything for them…And it scares some people, the depths of your heart. The awesome depths of your love."

Serena was now in tears. If possible, her love for her friends had grown even more immense with this emotional speech. "I love you guys," she choked out, and they all surged into a group hug.

"We love you too, Sere," they all murmured.

Luna and Artemis watched silently from the doorway, smiling quietly. Luna had tears in her eyes, and she turned to her life-long friend and love. "Nothing can stand against them," she murmured. "Not with a bond that pure…and a love that strong." She tilted her head and watched the group again, as the girls cried and sniffled and hugged each other to death.

"Lord Diemun is doomed." Artemis agreed.

"And the Universe will always be safe, with these girls," Luna finished, and is seemed as though the rest of the world melted away into insignificant details, and the entire universe was centered onto the protectors of the Earth.

Darien sat on his couch, just thinking, and staring into the empty space. "What should I do?" he asked the air hoarsely. "What have I done?" And as he stared at his wall, he could have sworn he saw loving, sapphire-blue eyes looking back at him through a teary haze.

…And so ends chapter six. I hope you all enjoyed the emotional roller-coaster ride, but I had to get it out of my system. I hope to get back to the comedic side of this story soon, but I honestly can't say. I think that there will be some action, some emotion, and some humor.

I hope you all enjoyed this chappie! I will _try_ to get the next chapters out as soon as possible, and I really hope that life will let me. But really, sometimes life's a bitch and it won't cooperate…(and homework and etc. are hard to work around. But I'm going to try!)

REVIEW and tell me what you would like to happen! Ideas keep my muse busy!

Love,

Princessvamp!


	7. Smarts and Dates

**Operation Sophistication **

**Chapter 7**

6-7-06

…Hi again…remember me? I know, the rotten fruit used to throw at me previously has rotted away into nothingness, it's been so long. I'm so sorry! The plain fact of the matter is that I stopped writing for so long because I just…lost interest. That sounds awful. I'm so sorry, and I know that I promised to never abandon a story. I'll stick by that, and I'll be sure to finish this one as fast as I can. Please forgive me!

Enjoy!

The next morning, Serena awoke with a purpose raised fresh in her mind. She dressed as quickly was humanly possible (and still look cute) before bolting out of the house with scarcely a word to Luna, before making her way to the Arcade and striding towards Andrew. There were three people total in the arcade: one was a businessman being served by the waitress, the other a guy who randomly and sporadically stayed at the Arcade for days at a time, just playing video games. (Serena secretly was proud that he hadn't ever beaten her score on Sailor V).

"Serena!" Andrew's mouth dropped open, he was so shocked to see her there. "It's…not even nine yet! On a Saturday! Are you…feeling okay?" He checked her temperature, realized his mistake, then wilted under Serena's glare. "Right, you're okay," he babbled. "Now, I'm gonna…go."

"Freeze, Andrew." Serena stopped him with just her voice. He slowly pivoted back to her. "I'm not mad. I just want to ask you some questions. You answer them. This is how it works, okay?" The businessman and the video dude took one look at the serious talk about to go on, and hightailed their butts out of there. Rachel, the waitress, hid in the back room with a magazine and a latte.

Andrew relaxed. "Okay, Sere."

She led him over to the lounging part of the café, and they sat in two overstuffed chairs. "I need to ask you some things about Darien," she began haltingly, staring over his shoulder at nothing at all. Andrew was suddenly more attentive, and he frowned a bit. Serena sighed frustratedly. "I'm not sure how to ask…ugh. How—What does he think of me?" She finally asked directly.

Andrew blinked, his mind fluttering. "Think of you? I don't know, Sere…he's a complex guy, and…"

"Andrew." Serena took his hand in hers. "Please."

Andrew stopped babbling nonsense and looked her in the eye. Perhaps for the first time he saw her as a young woman, and not a little teen with a crush on him. It was for this that he sighed sadly, wishing that they all could stay young forever. "Now don't quote me on this," he began slowly, "but I think Darien is confused with you. Some days you are happy, bubbly, and, no offense, ditzy. Then other days you come in here like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and you sit in the corner and avoid my eyes when I try to look at you. You shut people out. Then other times, you'll be furious."

Serena absorbed this all, staying quiet. "And?" she prompted when he fell silent.

He took a breath. "Darien grew up sheltered, with not many emotions around him. He's kind of scared and awed of you at the same time…confused. He alternately hates what you bring into his life, and then loves you for it. He has both a big-brother complex—which I am also guilty of—(Serena smiled)—but I think he also realizes that you are a beautiful, smart, capable young woman…" Andrew let out another breath and decided to just tell her the truth. "And I'm sorry that I've been suffocating you by passing over what you wanted and your opinions, by just brushing them off as something little sister said. This is kind of sudden…but I'm starting to realize just how old you are…and I decided I'd rather witness your transformation into a woman than try to suppress it." He started blushing a bit. "…and I just got way too carried away."

Serena tackled him in a huge hug. "I love you, Andrew," she whispered. "You're the best big brother I could ever have."

Andrew squeezed her tightly. "You'll always be my little sis," he told her affectionately. "I love you too."

Serena leaned back, her eyes overbright. "Next question," she began. "Does—ohmigodMOVE!" while yelling this, she dove at Andrew, toppling his chair and covering Andrew with her body as the youma she'd spotted about four seconds ago smashed through the glass window right next to them.

"Oh st! Run!" Andrew shouted to Serena as he pushed her off him, stood up, hefted a chair, and threw it at the demon.

Serena obliged and ran around the corner before turning into Sailor Moon. She sprinted back out just in time to see the slimy blue demon shove Andrew aside and advance towards her. Serena wrinkled her nose in disgust but strode towards the demon furiously. "_Why_ can't you stupid—" she kicked the demon with a powerful reverse hook, "—icky, (kick)—gross, (elbow jab)—_ewyouslimedonme!—(_side kick)—things just stay away from me!" Sailor Moon demanded, planting her hands on her hips. The demon, whom she'd just kicked across the room and into some particularily sharp furniture, groaned in reply, before slowly picking itself up again. Sailor Moon rolled her eyes before crossing the room quickly and kicking it repeatedly and painfully, then pulling out her wand and finishing it off with a powerful magic attack.

Glancing around at the traces of blue slime on some of the tables and wall, she shrugged in a 'well, what can you do?' kind of way, before remembering Andrew and running over to him. He was moaning and just coming to. Then he jerked up. "Serena! Where are—who are you?" he directed the last question at Sailor Moon, who flushed as she realized she was still in her 'kill bad guys, save world' outfit.

"Er…"

"Hang on," Andrew looked at Sailor Moon's odango hairdo, then at her crystal-clear sky-blue eyes. "Dear Lord," he started breathing hard. "Serena?"

Sailor Moon blew out a breath. Her choices were clear: lie, and convince Andrew that Serena had run for cover and Sailor Moon had been passing through, or tell the truth for once. It wasn't really a contest.

She touched her transformation brooch, and was Serena again in a flurry of feathers and pink lights. "Hey," she said, resigning herself to many, many questions.

Fortunately the questions had to wait as the police showed up, sirens screaming, and investigated the scene. There was random blue slime puddles everywhere, and a news reporter summed it all up as "Another disgusting youma dusted by the sailor scouts."

The waitress Rachel had sustained a minor injury, but not because of the youma. When she heard the screaming, she got up from the back room couch so quickly she ran into the coffee table and sprained her toe. A medic crew patched her up and Andrew sent her home, promising a bonus for having to deal with the youma attack.

Finally everyone had left, and Andrew cornered Serena in the café. His blue eyes were confused and worried. "How could you not tell me?" he asked, wounded. "I thought you would have trusted me."

Serena's heart twisted painfully. "Oh, Andy," she sighed. "Of course I would have told you…if I could have. But telling you would have put you in danger from whatever bad guy we were facing at the time."

Andrew shook his head. "I still can't believe you are Sailor Moon. _The_ Sailor Moon. That's just incredible. ..and sorta unbelievable. But I do believe you!… cuz I saw you. You Moon. Saved. Sailor…ohmygod, what if you got hurt?…you must get hurt sometimes…"

Serena winced. _You're babbling, Andrew…Must be too much for him to process._ "Shh…shh…" she soothed him, running her hands over his shoulders. "Okay, listen," she made sure his eyes were focused on hers before continuing. "When I was fourteen, I saved a cat from some little bullies. Later that day the same cat came to me and gave me this brooch," she offered it for him to see. "And the cat, Luna, told me to say Moon Prism Power. I transformed into Sailor Moon…saved some people…dusted some youma…met Tuxedo Mask…yadda yadda yadda…" she rolled her eyes and her hands gestured along with her words. "We fought this evil Queen Beryl at the North Pole, and we all died. Then my Silver Imperium Crystal brought us back to life from a wish I had made when I was dying, and…"

Andrew waved his arms frantically. "Wait! _Died?--_Slow down!" He took a deep breath. "Who's 'we'?"

Her eyes widened and she giggled. "Whoops…I forgot. Raye is Sailor Mars, Jupiter is Lita, Amy is Mercury, and Mina is Venus. Luna and Artemis are our guardians, and this is a very big secret, and I will probably get busted big time for telling you this." She looked somberly at him. "You understand that if any big bad finds out you know our secret identities, they could kidnap and torture you for the information?"

Andrew nearly fainted.

Three hours and many strong cups of coffee later, Andrew was pretty much caught up. He promised to always support and be there for her, she thanked him, and turned tiredly to go home.

"Wait, Serena," Andrew called as she was leaving. She turned slowly. "Go talk to Darien, okay?"

She furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Just do." Andrew waved goodbye to her and turned away. _Just 'cuz he thinks he's so smooth and careful doesn't mean I don't notice anything,_ he thought gleefully. _Four years of him disappearing randomly, amnesia, and dreams…DUH! I mean, seriously: and the costumes don't hide much. Maybe now Serena can figure out who Darien actually is, and they can finally get together. I hope. Maybe. _He turned and looked worriedly out the windows. _And was she serious about that kidnapping and torturing thing?…_

Serena decided to head for Darien's apartment. Maybe Andrew was mixing prescriptions…and maybe he had a real point for sending her there. She dimly recalled the way to his apartment, and calculated it would take her about twenty minutes to walk. Shrugging, _I guess it's good exercise_, she set off. Nearly two blocks into it, she tripped over a crack in the cement and tumbled into a roped off section of construction. "Sorry!" she called to the large Latino men working there, glaring at her. "Sorry," she repeated, skedaddiling.

She went underneath a ladder to get out of there, and then promptly two minutes later nearly tripped over a black cat that ran a cross a street and in passed in front of her. At least twenty white doves took off, startled, and flew above her furiously fast. She whirled, watching them, confused, her heart pounding. _What's going on?_ She thought. All of a sudden, a storm that had been lying in wait started to coalese above her, and Serena yelped when enormous raindrops started pouring on her head. Lightning flashed. _Summer storms_, Serena thought unbelievingly. _Gods…_ In ten seconds flat she was soaking, her clothes clinging like a second skin and her hair stuck to the back of her legs. Her mascara was completely washed off, and her flipflops squished whenever she took a step. Mud stirred up from planters and overran into the sidewalks, staining her feet and ankles. "I can take a hint!" she yelled up at the swirling skies. "I won't go see Darien! You can stop!"

Serena halted her walking process and, hands on her hips, surveyed herself. "Sophisticated, indeed!" she snorted. Just then her communicator started beeping furiously.

"Oh!" Serena pulled it out of her sopping wet pocket. "Hello?"

"_Serena Irene Tsukino, what's this I hear about you being in a youma attack and _not reporting it!" Luna's face appeared on the screen. "You could have been lying in a ditch and we wouldn't have been the wiser! How _dare_ you risk yourself that way—_meow!" _

Luna's face disappeared and some scuffling sounds ensued. Serena waited patiently, her foot tapping on the sidewalk. Finally a slightly disheveled Amy appeared. "Hey Sere. Are you alright?"

She smiled. "Yep. I'm fine. Goodio. Fantastical. Smashing. But I could have died. Been really hurt. Absolutely right. By the way, Andrew knows all of our identities and he's cool with it I'llseeyouguyslaterbye!" She clicked off the communicator guiltily and stashed it back in her pocket, and ignored the subsequent beeping of Amy trying to page her again.

"Well, I guess I'll go home then," she decided, hands on her hips. She looked cautiously up at the skies. "Unless it's all right for me to go see Darien now?"

_KABOOM! _Thunder and lightning split the air and Serena shrieked, her hair sticking up. "Okay! I get it! No going to see Darien!" she started inching her way towards her house, and suddenly it was a sunny day. She shook her head. "Weird."

Up in the skies, invisible to the human eye, two weather gods were finally finished with their silly argument.

One long and stressful conversation later, the scouts were all filled in on the youma attack and why Serena had told Andrew about their secret identities. There was a minimum of swearing and blushing about the shortness of their skirts now that someone actually knew who they were, but all over it was good.

Serena blew out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I'm so relieved! I thought for sure you guys were gonna barbeque my head for breaking the secrecy code thingy."

"Mmhmm." Luna hummed noncommittally. "By the way, Serena, I know on the next part of your list for sophistication is "Get smart—See Amy". I thought that perhaps Amy and I could combine our efforts…and at the same time start to help you prepare for becoming the NeoQueen."

Serena blanched. "Ulp."

Luna shook her head. "Honestly, it's not that bad. I picked out some books for you to read."

"B-b-books?"

"Yes, books. Historical occurrences, such as Gandhi and his quest for freedom by nonviolence, biographies on rulers of the ages, and such."

Silence.

"Oh, Serena, stop being such a drama queen and sit up straight! You don't need to know this all by tomorrow but it will come in handy when you are queen and you must make decisions! Learn from the past!" Luna scolded, and a silently laughing Amy passed Serena a huge pile of books.

"Have fun, Sere. By the way, if you are still serious about getting smarter, I'd love to help tutor you. Say, every other day for an hour?" Amy offered, biting her lip to keep from chuckling when Serena grasped her pleated skirt in supplication.

"Not more leaaaarrrnning! School's out for the summer! Can't we relax?" Serena begged.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Serena, it was your idea. _Operation Sophistication,_ remember?"

"Crap."

Serena dragged her feet on the way home. _Stupid books,_ she thought sadly. _Stupid Serena for wanting to get smart. I should have just trapped Darien and kidnapped him instead of this idea to change myself. _

A picture of Darien dangling a few feet off the ground in a bamboo cage formed in her mind, and she giggled. _What I wouldn't give to see that in real life! _She paused. _Maybe if I was in the cage too…_ her mental picture swirled and when it reformed, she and Darien were squished in a passionate embrace in the tiny bamboo cage. "Tee hee hee!"

A few passerby's looked oddly at the girl with odangos, and Serena hastened to get home where her fantasies wouldn't disturb anyone. She tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and dropped her pile of books. "Fudge!"

She knelt down to pick them up, cracked her head against something, and fell on her butt. "Owwwwiiieeee!"

"Tell me about it!" The familiar deep voice sent chills through Serena's body, and she opened her eyes to meet dark blue ones.

"Darien!" _Okay, be cool, be cool. Remember the operation sophistication—be sophisticated. You can do it. Oh ow, crappidy crap my head hurts! _

"Hey Serena."

She blinked. "You called…me…Serena?"

He looked at her oddly. "Yeah?"

"What happened to Meatball-Head?" she asked softly. _Oh god, is he going to tread me weird? Please no…oh Darien…_

His eyes got confused. "I thought that after…the other night…that you would be too mad at me for me to call you pet names."

"Mad?" She thought back. _Oh yeah. I was mad. Well, he deserved it! _"Yeah I was mad, but I'm not anymore." _Oh boy this is awkward. Say Darien, any chance that you want to go into some dark alley and kiss me like that again? I'll protect you from muggers if you just kiss me._

His eyes brightened. "You're not mad?" _Whew, man, I thought I was gonna have to beg on my hands and knees for her to forgive me! Usually she would have made me beg…what's going on? She's acting older than usual…_

"Not really, no. So long as you're not too mad at me for hitting you…" Serena was all of a sudden shy, looking down at the ground. _Hey, an ant!_

"No! Not at all! I was a total jerk to you, Serena…"

Her head jerked up. "A jerk how?" _please don't say you were a jerk to kiss me…please no. I think I'd slap you again if you said that. _

He looked down and picked up her books, helped her stand up. There was a shock of electricity as their hands touched, and when they separated Serena clenched her hand on her shorts. "Everything I said to you," he said quietly. "After…After I kissed you."

Serena let out a huge breath she hadn't known she was holding. _Whew._ She smiled and blinded Darien with her beauty. "All forgiven then! How 'bout we start over with a fresh slate?" Hopeful blue eyes glanced up at Darien. "I'm Serena Tsukino."

He smiled. "I don't think that's gonna work, Serena. We have too much history between us to forget and start over. How about we just…continue how we have been? Except…" He looked down at her. _She's seventeen! Seventeen! That's fine. That's perfectly okay. Andrew's gonna kill you! Who cares? This is Serena! Do it. Do it. Ask her. Do it, Darien, you coward! We all know that you like her!_

"Except what?" Serena cocked her head to the side.

Darien suddenly grinned at her and Serena felt her heart lift. "Except…would you allow me to take you out for coffee? Or milkshakes, whatever you want," he amended hurriedly.

_OHMYGOD he's asking you out! YEEEESSSSSSS!_

Serena opened her mouth to say yes, and instead a high-pitched squeak came out. She clapped a hand over her mouth and cleared her throat. "I mean, yes! I'd love to. When?"

_Oh god she said yes. She said yes. She said yes!_ "Um…tomorrow? At the Arcade?"

Serena giggled in happiness. "Okay! Fantastic!"

Darien caught her hand before she could skip away. "Serena! I'll pick you up at your house at one, if that's okay for you."

"Perfect!" she trilled. _Oh, I have to go write this in my diary and then tell all of the girls and then jump to the tallest building in the world and scream and scream and tell everyone how happy I am and I have a date with Darien!_ "See you tomorrow at one!"

"Okay." Serena tripped off in the direction of her house, leaving Darien standing in the fading light of the afternoon, hands in his pockets, and a smile on his face.

I hope you all liked that! It took me so long…I had the first half written about a year ago (yikes!) but then I couldn't figure out where to go from there and I stopped writing. Then at Christmas I got my own computer and I tried again, but nothing turned out good. Finally today I read my story, decided I absolutely had to post another chapter, deleted about half of what I had written for this chapter and rewrote it. I hope it didn't get too far off track—I'm trying to bring this back around to a romance/comedy.

Please Review!

Hugs,

Princessvamp.


	8. Smoochies and Demons, Oh My!

!Princessvamp here and reporting for duty! I know I'm horribly awful and terrible and…with no further ado,

. . . Here it is!

Sophisticate _this!_

Chapter Eight

Luna watched in horrified amusement as Serena decimated her room looking for the perfect ensemble to wear for her afternoon date with Darien.

The usually ditzy blonde was currently a golden whirlwind, flying from closet to mirror to bathroom, and trampling anything or anyone that got in her way. Sammy had been an unfortunate bystander to the Tornado Serena, and he was angrily nursing a bruised shin in his room, courtesy of his darling older sister.

Said sister suddenly dashed out of the room to holler over the stair railing "Mooooom! Can I borrow your dangly diamond earrings? Thanks!" before speeding off to gather said objects.

Luna sighed and rested her head on her paw. What was she ever going to do with Serena? This willful young thing couldn't possibly be the same tranquil Neo-Queen that they had all seen in the future. It didn't seem achievable for Serena to learn all she needed if her head was going to be only full of boys.

Serena sped back into the room and screeched to a halt, silvery-blonde hair flying, earrings swinging, eyes darting, searching fearlessly for the perfect pair of shoes to match her pretty pale pink skirt and tight white shirt with pink embroidery ensemble.

"Luna! Help!" She demanded, whirling about to face her guardian. "I need your advice."

Luna sighed and obediently looked up with the air of someone who has long lost her will to fight. "What?"

Serena picked up two pairs of shoes: white heels with straps that wound up to her knee, and flip-flop sandals with a slight heel and looked helplessly at Luna.

The cat looked up to the heavens in supplication for divine intervention. "Do you want to be slutty-desperate or more comfortable and sweet?"

"Slutty _and_ sweet!"

Eye roll. "Wear the sandals. The high heels look like you're trying too hard."

Serena frowned, her brow wrinkling and mouth pursing. She cocked her head to the side. "Are ya sure?"

Eye twitch. "Yes."

"Oookay. Now, should I wear the Dolce Vita perfume or Refuge? . . . or maybe a musky scent? . . .or—"

"SERENA! Stop before you give me gray hairs!" Luna shrieked. "You have always been able to dress yourself before; I don't seen why this should be any different! If he asked you out he likes you so CHILL!"

Serena's eyebrows reached her hairline. "Yikes. Do you want to borrow some Midol or something, Luna?"

"Yeeeeaarrrggghhh!"

Humming happily, Serena turned from the hysterical Luna to primp in her mirror and compare pink eye shadow shades.

Suddenly a dark mist filled her room and the scent of rotting flesh filled their nostrils. Serena whirled, ready to scream, and saw the very demon that they had defeated the other day standing in her room! He snarled at her and lifted his upper lip in a grimacing smirk.

"Sailor Moon."

_OhmyGod!_ She thought, terrified. _I can't let him get near Mom and Sammy! Gotta think, gotta think—gotta get him outta here! Be brave! _

"N-nope, that's not m-me. . . w-w-wrong g-girl. Sorry. Bye!" she squeaked.

He chuckled evilly. Serena wondered inanely if they taught demons how to chuckle and smirk in some special type of demon school, like, "How to Take Over the World Stereotypically".

"Do not try to fool me, stupid girl. I know you for who you really are. If you anger me, I shall rip off your arm."

"Eek."

_Oooookay, Serena, calm down. You need to breathe. Can't defeat the bad guy if you're unconscious from not breathing. _She took a deep breath and promptly started coughing and wheezing. _Eaaarrghh! That was disgusting demon smell! Mental note: Do not breathe. Deeply, at least. Ugh. _

"Luuunaa," Serena hissed under her breath, not taking her eyes off the demon. "Plaannn…"

"Kill it?" Came the helpful response.

The demon snorted. "You cannot kill me, oh pathetic ones. I have powers beyond your mortal comprehension. My learning is higher than any mere human's and my teachers always told me I excelled in math."

"Bleagh!" Serena couldn't help sticking her tongue out at the "math" part. She raised an eyebrow, feeling safer now that her brain was no longer as numb. "So, why are you here then?"

He sniffed and looked down at her. "To deliver a warning. My Lord Diemun demands that you stop fighting him. To prove how dead serious he is, he says that the next time you vanquish one of his demons, he will kill one of your pathetic "family" members. Horribly. Bloodily. Terribly! Rip them to smithereens and stomp on the pieces! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!—er, a-HEM, remember his words. He grants you mercy in that which he tells you of this instead of just doing it. Mwa-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

He vanished in a cloud of smelly demon smoke. Despite his bad grasp of proper English Serena was now desperately afraid for her family... and angry.

Luna looked up at her young charge. Serena's beautiful face was terrified…and then her princess's hands clenched. "That…is…_it._" Serena hissed, stalking back and forth her room. She picked up her communicator, her movements tense and jerky, and then quickly dropped it when her mom's voice echoed throughout the house. "SEREEEENA, where are you—oh, there you are, dear." Irene poked her head into Serena's room. "Oh, don't you look sweet."

Serena squashed down her chaotic emotions and put a smile on. "Hey, Mom."

Irene came into her room and brushed some invisible lint off Serena's shirt, and then tugged her shirt up so it covered more cleavage. "Now, behave yourself with this boy," she began, "I remember what men were like when I was your age…and I don't want any reason to feel disappointed in you."

Serena blushed. "Mom!"

Irene softened. "Darling, I have always—well, with the exception of your grades, but I _know_ you don't apply yourself—been proud of you. Enjoy yourself on your date. I just wanted to let you know that since you're going out and Sammy is sleeping over at a friends' house, your father and I are going to a restaurant for dinner. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Of course! Take your time, have a wonderful evening!" Serena exclaimed happily. _Now I don't have to worry about them tonight! _She thought ecstatically.

Irene ruffled her hair. "Uh-huh."

The doorbell rang, and Serena stiffened. "Ohmigod, that's Darien!" She shrieked, and Irene and Luna covered their ears too late. "I'm not ready yet!"

Irene rolled her eyes. "Breathe, dear. I'll cover for you for a few minutes." She paused on her way out. "By the way, Serena, it smells like a PortaPotty in here."

"Luna farted," Serena lied easily.

"Mrowr!"

As soon as Irene was gone Serena turned to Luna, her face more serious.

"Please call the scouts while I'm gone and see if it is possible for them to spend the night here so I can tell them about this new problem personally," she requested, and Luna nodded in assent.

Serena turned to go, but before she could leave the room, Luna leaped after her. "Serena, wait!"

Serena pivoted back. "Yes?"

Luna stared at her charge determinedly. "We will find a way to solve this problem. I don't want for you to worry. I want…" she swallowed, "I want you to have a good time and have fun. Don't let this monster's threat ruin your date."

Serena half-smiled. "I won't."

Minutes later Serena was thinking that it was more likely that her father would ruin her date.

"…And above all, you will not _touch_ my daughter. You will not _kiss_ my daughter. . . except on the hand. No, not even that!"

"Dad!" Serena finally interrupted, "We're leaving now." She kissed him on the cheek. "Have a nice night!"

She grabbed Darien's hand and dragged him out the door behind her. "Whew!" She slumped against his car. "I thought we'd never escape."

Darien was looking shell-shocked. "Is he always like that?" He questioned her, sounding dazed.

Serena laughed. "He's only like that because you're my first official date. I mean, I've had a boyfriend before, but we mostly hung out with other people at the same time…and…"

She trailed off as Darien acquired a predatory gleam to his eyes. "First official date?" He repeated, stepping closer to her.

She caught her breath. "Technically…" she breathed, as the shock from the demon and her family finally wore off and the intense feeling of being next to the guy she was in love with came into focus. Darien came closer still.

"You know…" Serena whispered as his head came nearer to hers, "I'm not supposed to…" she forgot what she was saying when Daren brushed his lips over hers.

"What?" he murmured huskily.

"Hmm? Oh…I'm not supposed to…" He brushed her lips again; "ah…kiss a boy. . . on the first date."

"Good to know," he whispered, and kissed her, slow and deep.

When she finally came up for air she discovered her fingers were tightly knotted in his shirt and her legs were most definitely unsteady. Her heart was beating in her ears. Darien appeared to be in the same condition.

Shakily she stepped away. "Well," she began, "I guess now that rule makes sense."

The look he shot her made her insides quiver with need. "How?"

She smiled angelically. "Because now how am I supposed to get to know you? Now that I've kissed you I don't want to stop."

His eyes darkened and he stepped closer to her again.

"Ah, Darien?" She asked, warding him off with her hands. "Do you think maybe we could continue this _not_ in front of my parent's house?"

The intensity of his look faded and he had the grace to look slightly abashed. "Sure," he responded, and then he held open his car door for her and then he got in as well and they drove off, towards the Crown Arcade.

When they arrived Andrew's jaw dropped open. "Holy Mary, mother of God," he swore, making the sign of the cross. Serena and Darien gave each other odd looks and decided unanimously to ignore the fact that Andrew was not Catholic.

"Hi, Andrew," Serena said tentatively, hoping not to make Andrew crazier than he already was.

Darien grinned. He had no such qualms. Serena's hand in his grasp, he strode up to the counter, twirled Serena around and bent her over backwards, then laid a big, wet one on her. When he stood them back up he had a silly grin on his face. "The largest chocolate milkshake you've ever made, Andy," he ordered, and, smirking, added, "For my girlfriend Serena and I to share." And then he marched off to a booth with a dazed Serena.

When Serena came back to Earth she raised an eyebrow at Darien. "That was…unexpected."

Darien grinned in a way that was not in the least bit ashamed. "I felt like it."

Serena giggled. _Wow. Darien is totally not acting like Darien. Poor Andy. This might have made more sense to him if he knew the history behind us: the kiss at the club, the flirting and sexual tension… I hope he's not psychologically scarred. _

She glanced up as Andrew came over with their drink. The milkshake was the mother of all milkshakes. This milkshake didn't just bring it to the yard, it shook the earth so much all the cows fell to their knees in supplication. This milkshake…ahem. "Hi, Andy. Thanks! This looks delicious!"

"Eeurk." Andrew replied sophisticatedly, and wandered off in the direction of the phone. _Must…call…Rita… Armageddon…is…here…_

Darien stuck two straws into this Mama Milkshake and Serena stared at him in disbelief. "Y—You're going to have some too? But you never have milkshakes!" Her voice rose to a squeak by the end. _Nice, Sere. Sophisticated. Oh, well, if I got him on a date I suppose I'm sophisticated enough. _She swooned for a second. _I'm on a date with DARIEN!!!_

"I don't usually have a gorgeous girl to share a milkshake with," Darien replied.

Serena decided that her blush was answer enough to that comment and that her attention was better concentrated on the milkshake.

"So, Serena, tell me about yourself."

_Gulp. Well, I'm a reincarnated princess from the moon a thousand years ago. In the future I'll become the greatest Queen this planet has ever seen. Until that happens, I fight evil in short skirts. I also have a tendency to die. Oh, also, in the future I'm married to a tall guy whose tailor really likes the color purple. Questions? Comments? _

"Not much to tell, really," she answered breezily. "How about you?"

Darien shrugged. "I was orphaned young, grew up well enough, modeled for a while, and I'm studying to become a doctor."

She studied him seriously. "Why a doctor?"

He lowered his eyes momentarily. "So that I can help people. So that someday perhaps I can save the parents of a young boy who were injured in a car crash."

_Oh my God. _Her heart ached for him. _Darien…_

Without words, she slid her slender hand into his larger hand and looked him in the eyes with understanding. He squeezed her hand and smiled.

"That's enough moping," he said. "Let's talk of something more cheerful."

So they did. For hours they sat at the table and, holding hands and sipping milkshake, speaking of inconsequential things.

When they were idling outside Serena's house at the end of their date, Serena turned to him, a smile playing around her lips.

"So. . . I think that we should do this again. Soon." She told him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you?"

She stuck out her tongue. "Yes! I know you do, too. You like me," she said brazenly, "And I like you."

He smirked. "I may need some. . .convincing."

Serena had to laugh as she slid closer to him—or as close as she could get with the armrest in the way. "You sound kind of desperate," she teased him as he cupped the back of her neck soothingly.

Darien tilted his head and touched his lips to hers. "I am—but only for you." He told her seriously, and then plundered the sweet recesses of her mouth, her passions' matching his own.

Finally, they parted. "Wow," Serena said dazedly. "Did you feel that?"

He had a hard time concentrating. "What?"

"The earth moved." And she was kissing him again.

Darien slid his hands up her back and nestled one at the nape of neck, nearly shaking.

"You're trembling," she murmured, pulling back slightly, eyes still closed.

"Yeah. You have that effect," he murmured. They were leaning together for another kiss when a horn honked behind them. Serena jerked around, ready to yell, and instead laughed when she saw Mina and the other girls in a car behind them.

The red-bowed scout stuck her head out the window of her stylish sunshine-yellow car. "Oi! Find somewhere else to do that! I need to park, Sere!"

Darien chuckled. "Sorry Mina!"

Raye rolled down the back window. "I hope you're not seducing our sweet Serena, Darien!" She teased.

Darien didn't bother answering Raye and instead looked at Serena so intensely she felt weak. "Not yet," he answered softly.

Serena arched an eyebrow. "Mmm-hmm. Goodnight, Darien."

He caught her hand as she was exiting the car and pulled her back for a swift kiss. "Goodnight, Serena," he murmured against her lips. "Dream of me."

She nodded stupidly and walked up the steps of her home.

Feeling extremely content, Darien drove off. Mina pulled in next to the curb where he had been parked and all the scouts tumbled out of her car.

"Ohmigod Serena were you kissing him?"

"Of course she was silly, the windows were steamed up!"

"You're not supposed to do that on the first date!"

"It is just the sweetest thing I have ever—"

"—Because he'll think that you're easy—"

"—seen, and I hope that you totally had the most wonderful time ever—"

"I can't believe that you two finally got together,"

"After all that time!"

"Fighting like animals!"

"Only to find that you are soulmates!"

"Ahhhhh," All of the scouts sighed in unison. "How sweet!"

Serena was pressed against the door in pretend fear. "That was the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed!" She joked. "All of you talking at once are very intimidating. We should try it on the next demon that shows up."

She straightened up and unlocked the door, ushering the girls into the empty house. Gone in an instant was the carefree girl in love; here was Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice, and Protector of the Innocent. "Speaking of demons, I need to tell you what happened earlier."

She related the warning from Lord Diemun as they all got sodas and chips and settled down in the living room.

Serena looked from face to face as the girls absorbed the information. These were her scouts; her protectors, guardians, court, and friends. She had to smile at their typical reactions: Amy was tapping a finger on her chin, lost in thought, Lita was smacking a fist into her palm, Raye was tapping her nails on the couch with restrained anger, and Mina was looking right back at her. _She knows_, Serena thought. _She knows what it is to order your friends into battle. _

"Sere?" Lita's voice broke the silence. "What are we going to do?"

Serena stood up and walked to the window, looking out into the disappearing light. _I hate demons_, she thought suddenly, passionately. _Goddamn stupid things ruining lives. _She shuddered. _And now I must give the order. Perhaps one that will lead us all into death. Again. But I must, to protect my family and the rest of the world. _She closed her eyes for a moment. _I wish that this were not the way of our destinies. _

She turned back around in a flurry of pink clothes and blonde hair, blue eyes icy cold.

"We kill them. Tonight."

Dun-da-duhhhhh! Stay tuned!

Thanks to all that reviewed! I love ya guys!

Hugs, Princessvamp.

P.S.—Bethanie, I know you asked for a reply e-mail, but I thought you might prefer a chapter instead! I hope you enjoyed it and thank you EVERYONE for reading my story. I do plan to finish it.


	9. Preparing to Fight

Hola! I missed you guys! I know I should be killed by Beryl for taking so long…all I can say is I'm really, really sorry and my life is quite hectic. I'm graduating soon and then starting college. (Yay!) I hope to have more time to work on fanfiction then.

Stay tuned!

Sophisticate _this!_

Chapter 9

His hands were trembling. Darien leaned on the balcony's railing and took deep breaths. Ever since he had left Serena, the exaltation at being with her had melted into a state of panic, the source of which he was unable to pinpoint. His stomach was churning, he was sweating, and he was unable to concentrate on anything. The buildings surrounding him reflected the gleaming stars above, with moon hanging full and heavy in the sky. He looked down at the earth and knew, somehow, in his gut, that he was close. Close to his princess, and close to finding out who he was. _Something is going to happen . . . tonight. _

Serena paced in her living room, deep in thought, yet still hyperactively aware of all around her. All her scouts except Amy were sitting, contemplating what may be. Amy was attempting to find the exact location of Lord Diemun and his cronies on her Mercury Computer. Luna had appeared sometime in the last hour and was perched on Mina's knees, also pensive. The silence stretched so long she could hardly bear it. Just as Serena was about to start screaming in frustration, Amy sat straight up and punched a fist into the air. "Yes! Got it, girls!"

"Where are they?" Serena asked, moving quickly to look at the computer. She blinked. It . . . made absolutely no sense at all. She tilted her head as random lights and signals blinked on and off. _What on Earth?_

Amy smirked. "They are in exactly the same place that Beryl was."

"Stupid demons." Raye snorted inelegantly. "They sure wouldn't win the prize for 'new idea'."

Amy glared at Raye for interrupting, and Raye shrank back into the couch. "…sorry, Amy."

"_Anyway_," Amy stressed, continuing, "It should be a piece of cake to teleport there, since we've already done it. We defeated Beryl . . ."

_Even though we all died,_ Serena thought, pretty sure everyone else was thinking the same thing. _But not this time._

"Good job, Ames," Serena said. She straightened and thrust her chin into the air. "Ready girls?"

"Ready!" they all shouted, jumping up. Luna fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap. "Mrowr…"

"Whoops."

There was a moment of silence where they all met each others' eyes, hoping this wouldn't be the last peaceful moment for them.

"Moon Prism Power," Serena whispered, and as she drifted into the air the moment was broken. Beautiful pinks flooded the air and Serena's body disappeared, only to reappear moments later clad in the suit of Sailor Moon.

"Mars Power!" Raye closed her eyes and let the comforting rays of fire wrap around her body before snapping her eyes open and striking a pose, hearing her fire-engine red heels clack on the floor.

"Jupiter Power!" Lita reveled in the familiar shocks of lightning to her system, bringing her to full awareness and preparing her for battle. When her feet touched the floor again she smirked, ready for anything.

"Venus Power!" Knowing full well that this could be her last transformation, Mina savored the soothing caresses of the golden emotions cocooning her body. Then she tucked away the fear and when the lights died down, she was Sailor Venus, one of the senshi, protector of the princess.

"Mercury Power!" Amy thrust her hand into the air, wanting to feel the coolness of the water upon her skin, to feel safe and protected. When the powers swirled away and a flash of lights, she opened her eyes and looked at her friends.

"We are ready." Sailor Moon commanded.

"Not yet you aren't."

Startled, the senshi whipped around, falling automatically back into fighting stances, on their guard.

"T—Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Moon whispered. _No way! How does he always show up right when we need him? Oh, never mind, I'm so glad he's here! _

Tuxedo Mask swung through the window. "I felt you transform," he explained shortly. "And all night I've been feeling like something big is going to happen. What's going on?"

He looked around, surprised. "And why are you . . . here?"

Panicking, the girls whipped their heads around, searching for an excuse. "Er . . . the family that lives here is out for dinner," Jupiter improvised.

"Yeah!—um, we saw them leave . . ."

"—and knew we needed a place to convene," Mercury added helpfully.

"So we took the opportunity!" Mars finished triumphantly.

"Oh. Okay then." Tuxedo Mask nodded.

Moon face-faulted. _No way! He believed us? That was such a load of baloney-noodles! _

Luna's eye twitched, but she stayed quiet.

Mercury flawlessly took control of the situation. "Tuxedo Mask." He looked at her. "We would like your help."

"I am yours." He stated, completely unaware of the other scouts swooning.

Mercury coughed and continued, "We are attacking Lord Diemun tonight."

"WHAT? ARE YOU ALL OUT OF YOUR MINDS?" Tuxedo Mask bellowed, nearly falling over. "How can you just suddenly decide to attack them?"

Sailor Moon stepped forwards, eyes cold. _Oooh, I don't care if he's dreamy, no one treats us like we're schoolgirls. Even if we are. _

"I do not believe it is your place to question our judgment, Tuxedo Mask," she began tartly. "Furthermore, you have no idea what our plans are, or how we have prepared. Believe me when I say we have faced worse evil than Lord Diemun and survived." Her conscience jabbed her sharply. _We did survive!_ She told it firmly. _We came back to life. It's not a fib._

He narrowed his eyes. "And what are your plans?"

Jupiter cracked her knuckles. "Hey buddy boy, I don't like what you're insinuating. Now you can just back off, or . . ." _I'll make you_ hung in the air.

"We plan to teleport just outside of his lair and then attack, basically. We don't know what it's like out there. We may go in guns blazing, or try to sneak in. It really depends." Venus smoothly stepped between the two feuding superheroes.

"It sounds like you need to do some reconnaissance," Tuxedo Mask inferred. "You should put off this attack until we know more."

"No!' Sailor Moon said emphatically. She clenched her fists and met his eyes squarely. "Lord Diemun threatened my parents. He knows our identities. This has to happen right now." Her bright blues betrayed none of her feelings. "Are you with us? You can walk away if you want."

He inhaled sharply, whirled away and stared outside for a moment. Possibilities swirled inside his head. Go with them? If he died he may never see Serena again. He couldn't bear to lose her now. But if he didn't help destroy the demon lord, Serena may die next. And how could he not help Sailor Moon? She was connected to him somehow. Scenarios raced through his mind. Perhaps he could just hit the scouts over the head with a really big frying pan, and tie them up in a closet until he researched more. Or . . . he had no choice.

"I'm with you."

All the scouts relaxed fractionally. Sailor Moon's eyes warmed. "Good," she clasped his hand. "Thanks."

"No problem," he flexed his shoulders. "Let's just try not to die."

"We're with you there," Mercury added dryly.

Sailor Moon pulled out the Moon Wand from her sub-space pocket, and ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the bare crescent moon. _Protect us,_ she wished. She looked around at the others. "Arm up, girls."

They nodded. Jupiter concentrated and extended her thunder antenna so she could attack at a second's notice. Tuxedo Mask edged slightly away from the crackling lightning. She winked. "No worries!"

Venus shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her fingers together, feeling the incorporeal links of her Love-Me Chain.

Mercury and Mars quickly ran over their attacks in their minds.

Sailor Moon stepped forwards. "We're gonna win," she said, face tense. "I know it. Come on girls. And Tuxedo Mask," she smiled. They all stepped forwards and held hands.

Luna scampered back as the scouts and Tuxedo Mask began to project their powers, colored lights mixing and raising the hairs on her body. "Concentrate . . ." Sailor Moon murmured, "Almost there . . ." Her eyes snapped open and she met the ocean blue eyes of Tuxedo Mask. Blue held blue.

"Sailor Teleport!"

NEXT IS THE FINAL BATTLE!!! Dum da duuuuuh!!! And of course drama when identities are revealed. (Or are they?)

I hope that wasn't too confusing. Or too short. It probably was. (winks). I was thinking of finishing it in this chappie, but it'll probably be about two more before it's done, including an epilogue. Maybe. Don't quote me.

Thank you so much for your reviews! I adore each and every one of them, even the ones that are slightly scary.

Tell me what you want to happen! Ideas are always nice. Let me know!

Ai'shiteru!


	10. Battling Your Fears

Well

Well. I looked at this fic the other day, and I was thoroughly ashamed of myself. (PrincessVamp sets hands on hips). Did you know it's been three freakin' years since I started this, and I _still_ haven't finished it? I AM SOOOO SORRY! I'm a truly horrible person. I said I would never abandon this, and yet I practically did. Please forgive me!

If it hadn't been for all of you lovely, fantastical, loyal readers sending me reviews, I am nearly certain this story would never have reached it's end. As an apology for my horrendous procrastination, I am finishing up the story in this chapter!

Sophisticate _this!_

Chapter 10

The first thing that Sailor Moon felt was the sudden cold, biting through her thin uniform to her bones. She forced her eyes to open in the stinging wind, and tried with futile effort to stop her body from shivering so violently. "M-M-Mars," she chattered, "C-can you d-d-d-do anything about t-this?"

She didn't hear a response, but felt the air suddenly warm, like a Caribbean breeze was trapped around them in a bubble. She unclenched her muscles and turned to smile at her friend, snow crunching under her boots. "Much better, Mars, thanks."

"Yeah," Jupiter contributed, "I thought my thunder antenna was going to snap off!"

"I hate winter," Venus grumped.

Mercury shrugged. "I thought it was fine."

Tuxedo Mask stayed silent, keeping a stoic look on his face as he scanned the area. He was grateful his mask hid his rolling eyes.

Mars smiled tightly. "No problem. But I can't hold it for too long without depleting my energy. We should hurry."

Just like that, the silly mood dissipated and the Sailor Warriors were back in action.

"Right." Sailor Moon turned towards the blue scout. "Mercury, can you find where their base is? I thought we were supposed to appear right next to it." She surveyed the lands and saw only white. White ground; white air; white sky.

Mercury typed furiously for a few minutes. "We should have—we _did…_ everyone, look around for anything that could give us a clue! "

The scouts advanced in different directions, peering into the snow swirling air. Sailor Moon nearly jumped out of her skin when a large warm hand fell on her shoulder. "Tuxedo Mask! Don't surprise me again," she ordered, eyes narrowed. She felt irrationally upset, but his attitude earlier had irked her to no ends. Talking down to them, as if they didn't know what they were doing. As if _he_ really did anything to find Lord Diemun! Hmph.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere alone," he replied tightly, eyes darting around for danger. "Don't argue."

She would have replied, (probably not very nicely), but her next step had her hovering over air, not snow. With a piercing shriek she lost her balance and tumbled into the earth. "Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask dove after her.

The other girls turned at Moon's shriek and screamed.

"No!"

"Princess!"

They all ran towards the spot where the two heroes had disappeared and unhesitatingly jumped after them.

She was falling, falling like the white rabbit down the hole in that movie that she didn't really like, and couldn't remember the name of, because she was also hitting precipices of rocks and chunks of ice, and couldn't concentrate on any one thought except that she was falling, and she hated heights, and now that she had fallen off one she decided she hated falling more.

Then she was enveloped in a warm embrace, and a low voice _demanded_ in her ear, cutting through her panicked thoughts. "The Transformation Pen! Use it, Sailor Moon!"

Just like before, she thought hysterically, hands fumbling in her sub-space pocket. When they had fallen off the balcony at that ball, and then when she had fallen off the railing and been caught by Darien—her breath caught in a sob. _Oh, god, Darien! Please,_ she prayed, _Oh Moon, please, let me see him again! Don't let this be the end!_

With muscles quivering, she held the pen up, and a strong hand covered her frightened grip. _Help us, _she thought. With a flurry of white and pink sparks, a simply enormous umbrella unfolded and they drifted in a controlled fall.

Sailor Moon felt her heart start to resume its normal pace, and she was nearly overcome by shakes before she calmed her body down. _Later, I can be hysterical_, she thought. _Not now. _

Her heart dropped into her stomach when she heard four terrified girls screaming just above their heads. "Sailor Scouts!" She didn't recognize the voice that came out of her chest; it was so full of fear.

The four scouts plummeted past their princess and Tuxedo Mask, arms flailing and mouths open, towards the slate gray ground that was coming closer and closer.

"NO!" Sailor Moon screamed, letting to of the umbrella and stretching her arms in futile effort towards her guardians. Tuxedo Mask grunted and wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and concentrated on not letting go of the umbrella as well.

Flipping through the air, Sailor Venus's eyes met her princess's horrified gaze. Her mouth formed the new words without even thinking of them. "_Venus Love Me Chain—Encircle!" _Venus's golden links wrapped around her fellow scouts, and she sent the other end of the chain rocketing up towards the magicked umbrella, where it connected and stayed.

In a stunned silence, afraid to move, the group of heroes drifted down towards the rocky ground. The scouts touched down first, scrambled out of the Venusian's chain, and waited for Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.

Sailor Moon's boots had barely reached ground when she had disentangled herself from Tuxedo Mask and bolted towards her guardians. "Oh God, I thought you were going to die!" She cried, arms hugging everyone that she could reach. They ran hands over her, hardly believing they all survived.

Venus straightened up from the hug. "Okay, girls, we need to be serious. Luna and Artemis would _murtalize_ us if they had seen that blind jump."

Moon's eye twitched. "Oops."

Without another word, they all crouched down a bit and began stealthily sneaking through the cavernous hall, keeping a sharp look out for any demons.

Sailor Moon crept along behind Tuxedo Mask, eyes sweeping around, as she had been trained by her guardians; not a single dank, dripping rock escaping her notice. The musty smell of the stale cave assaulted her senses, and as she carefully placed her feet on the mossy rock she knew they must succeed. She slanted her gaze at Tuxedo Mask's broad back, watched the fabric shifting over his muscles, and—"AAIIIIIIIEEEEE!" She flailed her arms helplessly as her boot caught, and she pitched forwards, smack into Tuxedo Mask.

"Aahhh!" Caught unawares, he went down, Sailor Moon on top of him. His top hat and his mask fluttered off.

"Ohmigod!" Mercury and Mars, who were in front, clapped their hands to their mouths in shock, eyes huge.

Jupiter and Venus ran to the front. "Holy crap!"

Sailor Moon pushed herself up off the man underneath her. The warmth under her hands felt so familiar, his scent caught in her nose and stayed there. The feel of his body…

_So stupid! _Tuxedo Mask berated himself as he tried to hide his face, knowing it was already too late. His shoulders were trembling with nerves, anxiety humming throughout his body. _They know who I am! _Then it hit him. If they recognized him, he must know them as well!

Sailor Moon's golden hair slipped over his shoulder as she scrambled upright. He felt like he could not breath as he stood up, slowly turning to face her.

And blue met blue. Her face went white as all of the blood rushed away. His name fell in a whisper from her lips. "Darien . . ."

_Oh goddess! How can Darien be Tuxedo Mask? What are the CHANCES? _Moon's mind shrieked as her hand slid up to touch, butterfly soft, on her brooch.

Darien had to close his eyes against the brilliant lights that followed, and when he opened them, it was as though destiny had come and landed a sucker punch. "Serena?!"

And then she was in his arms, and he had pulled her up and buried his face in her damnably sweet hair as it spilled around them as they clung together, trembling together. Serena felt like she couldn't breathe, she was trying to understand how Tuxedo Mask and Darien were one person, and she was shaking and didn't know why. After what seemed like ages but what probably only a few moments, she reluctantly stepped back and shoved her emotions into the back of her mind and looked up at the man she was falling in love with. He nodded at her. "I know. We need to focus now." She let out a breath, full of relief that he understood and wasn't going to be offended that they didn't have time at the moment. "We'll talk as soon as we dust this creep." She promised, smiling up at him.

Then she turned to see where her suddenly silent scouts had gone. She face-faulted. The four girls were clinging together, eyes huge and watery and lower lips trembling. "So sweet!" Venus squealed, hearts practically popping out of her eyes.

Aannnnd the moment was lost. Rolling her eyes, Serena turned back towards Darien, just in time to see a huge ugly black demon shimmer into existence right behind him.

"DARIEN!" she screamed, lunging forwards and tackling him down to the floor. The demon growled and swiped its massive talon right where Darien's head had been seconds before.

Venus emerged from her stunned state and leveled a finger at the thing. "Venus Crescent Beam . . . Attack!" She yelled, and the demon howled in pain as her laser blasted through its arm. It lowered its grimy head and charged at her. Venus leapt to the side and rolled on the ground as Mercury flung her arms wide, "Mercury Bubbles . . . Blast!" and a thick fog filled the air.

Darien flung her mask back on and jumped to his feet with Serena in his arms. "Transform!" He hissed in her ear, panicking that she would be defenseless.

"Moon Prism Power!" she whispered, and the fog muffled the lights as she turned back into Sailor Moon.

"We need to get organized! Everybody retreat!" Venus commanded, and the scouts and Tuxedo Mask backed out to where they had fallen.

"Lucky that demon's pretty stupid," Mars commented as they watched it slice and dice the bubbles in a mindless fury.

Sailor Mars' heart froze in her chest as a silky voice murmured into her ear, "Lucky? I think not." She twisted her head just far enough to see a fatally handsome man behind her when another demon popped into existence, captured her arms, and teleported away.

"Mars!" Sailor Moon shrieked in horror. Her eyes turned into steel and her fists clenched as she glared at the man. "Give her back!"

He had silvery white hair and deep green eyes, and if Serena had passed him on the street she would have drowned in her drool. "You're Lord Diemun," she realized. When had Beryl ever kept ugly guys? They were always gorgeous.

He smirked. "Yes," he drawled. He flicked his eyes towards Mercury, who gasped as another demon transported in, grabbed her, and transported out all before Serena could move.

"No!" Jupiter burst into action, attacking Lord Diemun with strong karate chops and lightning fast kicks. He shimmered out of existence and appeared behind her, and his hands flicked to her throat faster than Serena could see. "Agh!" Jupiter clawed at his hands and Serena wailed, then Jupiter disappeared with Lord Diemun as Serena stumbled to where they had been and Lord Diemun reappeared alone.

"What did you do with her?" Serena screamed, her throat feeling raw with unshed tears. Darien was standing close behind her and she could feel the energy pulsing off him in waves. Venus was slighting in front of her, always protecting her princess.

Lord Diemun chuckled. "The same thing I'm gonna do to you, Princess—"

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" Venus killed a demon that was sneaking up on them, and snapped her finger towards Lord Diemun so that he had to throw up a shield in order to avoid being decapitated.

"Kill her!" He growled, and dozens of disgusting, lethal demons popped out of thin air and advanced.

One snarled and appeared right behind them, hooking a claw through Darien's clothes and dragging him backwards. Serena whirled and grabbed onto him as another demon lunged at Venus and disappeared with her.

"No, Venus!" Serena, still holding tightly to Darien's shirt, turned and flung her tiara at Lord Diemun and his assembled demons. "Moon Tiara Magic!"

The tiara cut through the front line of demons like butter, and in her moment of exaltation the demon holding onto Darien yanked him out of her hold and they also disappeared.

Serena fell to her knees. "No! Darien, no!" Tears blurred her vision. She shook them out of her eyes and her heart turned to ice. Slowly, eyes murderous, she looked up at Lord Diemun. "You will not take him from me." She stated lowly.

Slowly, all of the demons circled around her.

"You're all alone, Princess." Lord Diemun stated, walked towards her. She remained on her knees, trembling, blue eyes glittering up at him. "You're all alone, and soon, all of Earth will cease to exist. I will devour all of the life in every single human being, every creature, until Earth is a blackened husk."

He stopped right in front of her. "And I will start with you, and Tuxedo Mask, and all of your sailor scouts." He tilted his head. "Listen hard, Princess. You will hear their tortured screams as my demons slowly suck their life away."

"No." She whispered, and pushed herself up. She wavered slightly on her feet and closed her eyes.

"What?" Lord Diemun laughed. "You haven't got a choice! You're alone, don't you see? There is no hope!" He waved a dismissive hand. "And now it is time for you to die, little princess. The end of the silver millennium begins today!" The demons around him began to cheer, in a disjointed eerie howl.

Serena snapped her eyes open and with a blindingly brilliant flash, she became Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, her crescent moon wand glowing in her hands, the silver imperial crystal shining with silver light. "You will _never_ destroy this beautiful planet," she whispered. "I will protect it with my life. In the name of the moon . . ."

She lifted her wand above her head, a warming breeze cooling her frigid limbs. "For Darien," she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek as she wondered if she would ever see him again. "For my friends."

She looked at Lord Diemun as he cowered against his demons. Months ago, she would have been terrified to stand alone against evil, and she would have been unsure of what to do. But with the help of her friends she had transformed from an awkward girl into a strong woman, and she _knew_ she could defeat Lord Diemun.

"Cosmic. . . Moon. . . Power!" She cried, and Lord Diemun screamed as her crystal flooded his body with its pure magical light, shattering him and his army. Serena closed her eyes and let the cleansing powers wash through her, and forced the reach of the crystal to go farther into the maze of caverns, seeking out all of the evil and destroying it in one fell swoop. With joy she felt the essences of her scouts and Darien, and knew that they were alive. _Thank Selene,_ she thought, and slowly lowered the crystal, her limbs weakening.

Her clothes flickered from her beautiful princess dress back into Sailor Moon's uniform, and then back into civilian Serena's clothes. Then she collapsed in a heap on the floor, oblivious to the sounds of running and shouting as her world went dark.

Darien was the first one to make it back to the center of the cavern, and he scooped Serena up in his arms, frantically checking for a pulse. "Serena, please, wake up," he whispered, and he relaxed slightly as he located the beat of her heart and the sigh of air from her lips. He rained kisses down on her still face.

"SERENA!" Mars and Venus were the next to appear, with Jupiter and the Mercury trailing, Mercury limping slightly and Jupiter with many bruises on her face.

"She's okay, she's just unconscious," Darien told them, cradling Serena tightly to his chest. "She must be exhausted."

Venus was crying tears of relief. "I can't believe she used the crystal!" Mars cried in an exasperated tone. "She knows it is so draining!"

"It's because he threatened us," Mercury said, limping over with Jupiter supporting her. "I'll bet you Lord Diemun made Serena mad and she wanted to make sure he was gone forever."

Jupiter gazed in distaste at the pile of oozing black goo that Lord Diemun and the demons had left on the ground. She toed it and it made a sticky sound. "Ew."

Darien stood up, still carrying his sleeping girl. "Let's get out of here girls," he decided, and all of the scouts nodded and held hands, and teleported them home.

Once back in the Tsukino's household, there was a flurry of activity as Mercury hobbled upstairs to get bandages and medical supplies from the bathroom, Jupiter and Mars went into the kitchen to grab some food as everyone was starving, and Darien gently laid Serena down on the couch while Venus flittered around, making sure she was comfortable.

Venus smiled as she watched Darien fuss over Serena, finally gently kissing her forehead. She was sure that Darien loved Serena, and that made him trustworthy in her book. She closed her eyes and detransformed.

He looked over and saw Mina appear. "Hey Mina," he said easily, blue eyes friendly. "I have to admit, I was very surprised that you guys are the sailor scouts."

She smiled. "Figured it out?"

He looked back down at the sleeping heroine. "After Serena showed me who she was, I knew it had to be you girls."

Mina tilted her head to the side. "Do you have any questions?"

The other scouts crowded into the room, and Darien looked at each of them in turn. "They can all wait." He smiled as Serena's eyes fluttered open, and once again, blue met blue. She searched his eyes for a minute with her own, and then seemed to find what she was looking for. She gave a little happy sigh, and closed her eyes again, tilting her face up to his. Darien leaned down and captured her lips with his in a sweet, never ending kiss. _We have eternity. _

The End.

Well okay. There will be an epilogue. I can promise that will be short and sweet.

Again, thank you, THANK YOU, so much to all of you who cared enough about this story to demand that I finish it, and to comment and tell me that you liked it, and for sticking with my lazy butt. I give you all chocolate covered Dariens! Enjoy!

P.S. Please please please review!

Lots of love!

PrincessVamp


	11. Epilogue

Sophisticate _This!_

Epilogue

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Neo-Queen Serenity gazed up at her husband with sparkling eyes. He smiled back at her and bent his head to kiss the fluffy pink hair of his hours old daughter. She sniffled back tears and hooked an arm around his neck to keep him next to her.

"I'm so happy," she said for probably the hundredth time in two hours, resting her forehead against his. King Endymion kissed her and leaned back, and looked at his wife.

"You're very nearly glowing," he whispered, touching his lips to hers for a moment once again.

Serenity laughed then looked down at her precious daughter; her crimson eyes were shut, small pink mouth slightly open in slumber. "Oh Endy, could you ever believe that all those years ago, we would have ended up like this?"

He quirked up an eyebrow. "You mean back in high school?"

She blushed a little. "Yes, back when I was so clumsy and . . ." Now she did turn red. " . . . so unsophisticated."

Endymion laughed and shook his head a little, leaning forwards to place a smacking kiss on her lips. "Love, I have never thought you were unsophisticated. A little klutzy, but you were always so refreshing to be around. You were different from all the other girls . . . and sometimes you carried yourself with such grace, and poise, that you looked more like a queen than a schoolgirl."

Her mouth fell open a little in shock. "B—But what about that time I fell over the railing and nearly died?!"

He shook his head a little, as he remembered. "That was scary, I wasn't sure I would get there in time! I was just relieved."

Serenity quirked an eyebrow and started to ask if he'd remembered anything about her stained granny panties (the memory still haunted her to this day!) but then decided that if he hadn't brought them up maybe he hadn't seen them . . .and then why make him unnecessarily uncomfortable?

Endymion smiled brightly at his wife and hoped she wouldn't bring up the bit about her underwear. He would really rather not relive that particular experience. And besides, it would just make her unnecessarily uncomfortable.

Grinning idiotically at each other, they paused for a moment, until whipping their heads around in relief when the door creaked open and Amy poked her head in. Amy smiled sheepishly. "I know I just saw her half an hour ago, but she's just so precious . . ." she cleared her throat. "And I should probably give her a check-up again."

Serenity laughed and handed her new daughter over. "You just want to hold her!"

"Very true!" Amy took the pink-haired princess with a smile. "Do you mind if I bring her outside the room for a moment? Zoicite and the other generals wants to see her, and they don't want to intrude."

Serenity regretfully nodded and waved goodbye as her guardian and her daughter left the room, knowing that she would see her again very soon. She leaned back against Endymion with a contented sigh. He linked his arms around her and kissed her silvery hair.

"Endymion, I don't think I have ever been happier." She murmured, her eyes fluttering shut.

She felt him smile against her temple. "I can't wait to watch her grow up . . .become Sailor Moon, become the beautiful princess that we know she will . . ."

"Mmm. Fall in love with her perfect prince . . ."

"Just like her parents fell in love."

Serenity giggled. "Hopefully with a little less confusion! I couldn't ever tell if you liked me or hated me!"

"Always liked you," he smirked, "I was just good at hiding it."

She snuggled closer. "And hopefully she won't have to fight evil as much as we did."

Endymion confidently replied, "She won't. Rini will grow up in a time of peace. Our daughter will know only happiness."

Serenity smiled again. He sounded so proud, so fierce. _Ten years of marriage and we are still so, so happy,_ she thought. _Who would have thought? The sophisticated boy and the klutzy girl get together and live forever in a millennium of peace. _

"I love you, Serenity." Endymion murmured against her ear. "Forever."

She tilted her head up. "I love you."

And once again, blue met blue.

* * * * * * * * *

Aaaaand I'm out. What can I say? Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me for the years it took me to finish Sophisticate _This!_ I would not have finished if it had not been for you all encouraging me. Thank you so, so much. You all deserve nummy Darien's.

Love and smoochies!

PrincessVamp


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